UpdatedAFP31 Aug, 2026 06:22 PM3 mins to readArgentine football player Lionel Messi is retiring from international football after leading Argentina to a second successive World Cup final. Photo / Juan Mabromata, AFPLionel Messi said today he was retiring from international football after leading Argentina to a second successive World Cup final in July.
The 39-year-old forward, who won the World Cup in 2022 and dragged his nation to the final in the United States only to lose
, said the decision had been painful.
