Lionel Messi announces retirement from international soccer at 39, says ‘this is the right moment’

The 39-year-old broke the news in an emotional Instagram statement, six weeks after Argentina's heartbreaking 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final."After all this time since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to tell everyone that I'm retiring from the national team," Messi wrote. "It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep inside, but I understand that this is the right moment."The announcement lands weeks after the death of his father, Jorge, who died August 8 at age 68 following a prolonged illness. Jorge managed his son for decades and rarely missed a match.

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