The football world has been stunned by Lionel Messi’s announcement of his retirement from international football. Media outlets around the world are treating the news of the end of his colorful career of more than two decades with Argentina as the close of an era.
Messi announced his retirement from international football in an emotional message Monday evening. The forward said the decision is causing him pain. Still, the Argentine superstar said he feels he has given everything he had to give for his country.
Argentina’s popular newspaper Olé described August 31, 2026, as a memorable day in the country’s football history. According to the paper, it was on this day that Messi more firmly cemented his incomparable legacy.
The paper also highlighted the personal tone of Messi’s farewell message. Promising that he had loved the national team and always would, Messi said he would stand by Argentina not as a player on the field but as a supporter from the outside, in good times and hard times alike.
Olé also believes a new chapter is beginning for Argentina after Messi’s departure. His retirement isn’t just the departure of one player, it said — it raises new questions about the national team’s future planning, leadership and coach Lionel Scaloni’s next squad.
Spanish newspaper Marca called Messi’s retirement a bombshell felt around the world. He has ended a 21-year international career with Argentina. The statistics from that trophy-and-record-filled journey are not easily overshadowed.
Messi scored 125 goals in 207 matches for Argentina. He is the national team’s all-time leader in both appearances and goals.
Catalan outlet Mundo Deportivo called Messi the best of the best. “A bombshell in the football world,” it said. “Thirty-nine-year-old Lionel Messi, considered by many the greatest footballer of all time in this beautiful sport’s history, has just announced his retirement from playing for Argentina’s national team.”
Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport viewed Messi’s decision from a different, human angle. To them, it was a painful but necessary decision.
Quoting Messi’s own words, the paper wrote: “I have nothing more to give, and there are some wonderful young players ahead who deserve to be here.”
Messi’s international career with Argentina ended as a World Cup champion and two-time Copa America winner. After a long wait for an international trophy, he ended Argentina’s major-title drought by winning the Copa America in 2021. The following year, winning the World Cup in Qatar brought his international career full circle.
French newspaper L’Équipe emphasized the length of Messi’s international career. After more than two decades with the national team, he is retiring at age 39. Messi said in his own message that the decision still pains him deeply.
French website Foot Mercato wrote: “Messi’s retirement closes an important chapter in the history of Argentine football.” According to the outlet, after a string of final-round heartbreaks, Messi ending his trophy drought in 2021 marked the start of a golden era for Argentina, one that culminated in the 2022 World Cup title.
India’s The Indian Express captured Messi’s farewell in even more emotional terms. Its headline read: “Messi retires from international football: football loses a piece of its soul.”
Argentina’s TNT Sports bid Messi farewell with the words: “You are a great one, captain.” As the news was delivered live to viewers, analyst Pablo Giralt was seen struggling to hold back tears.
Messi first announced his retirement from international football in 2016. Recalling that episode, British outlet The Sun ran the headline: “Messi retires from international football again.” The Telegraph, meanwhile, wrote: “Messi ends a brilliant career in the Argentina shirt.”
Germany’s Bild ran a brief headline: “Shock in football: Messi retires from the national team.” Portuguese outlet A Bola also called it “a bombshell in the football world” and described Messi’s decision as “the end of an era.”
According to German newspaper Die Zeit, Messi announced the end of his international career 43 days after Argentina’s World Cup final loss to Spain. According to the paper, he had written his retirement message just two days after the final, on July 21, but waited some time before releasing it.