Lionel Messi has retired from international football according to BBC Sport.
The 39-year-old, who is contracted to Inter Miami until 2028, announced on Monday that his successful international career with Argentina had come to an end after more than two decades.
Messi had been considering his future in football following the death of his father, Jorge, earlier this month.
In an emotional tribute to his father, he hinted at retirement, saying: “I don’t know how to carry on. I used to just play football, and now I’m really not sure if I’ll carry on doing it for much longer.”
He has now confirmed his decision to end his international career in an Instagram post, saying: “Time is running short, chapters come to a close, and this is one that hurts me deeply.”
The World Cup winner scored 125 goals in 207 appearances for Argentina, making him the country’s all-time leading scorer and most-capped player.
He has also scored a combined 921 goals for Barcelona, Paris St-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina.
Here are some of the most memorable moments of his remarkable career.
First hat-trick as a teenager
Messi’s first career hat-trick came in one of football’s biggest fixtures, El Clasico.
At 19, he scored all of Barcelona’s goals in a 3-3 draw against Real Madrid on March 10, 2007. It was his first El Clasico at the Camp Nou and included a brilliant late finish after he beat several defenders.
The performance helped establish him as a household name.
Stunning solo goal against Getafe
Just over a month after his El Clasico hat-trick, Messi produced another unforgettable moment.
He scored in Barcelona’s 5-2 Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg victory over Getafe on April 18, 2007.
The goal bore striking similarities to Diego Maradona’s famous 1986 World Cup goal against England. Messi collected the ball in his own half, dribbled past about five defenders, rounded the goalkeeper and finished.
First Champions League final goal
In 2009, questions were raised over whether Messi could perform against English opposition in European competition after failing to score in 10 Champions League appearances against Premier League clubs.
He answered those doubts in the Champions League final against Manchester United.
Messi rose to head in Xavi’s cross as Barcelona defeated United, scoring his first goal in a Champions League final and in a match that was widely billed as Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo.
Two years later, he scored again against Sir Alex Ferguson’s side in another final victory, securing the third of his four Champions League titles.
Four goals against Arsenal
Messi scored four goals in a single match for the first time in his career when Barcelona defeated Arsenal 4-1 in the 2010 Champions League quarter-final.
His third goal, a delicate chip over goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, was one of the highlights of the performance.
Two years later, he went one better by scoring five goals in Barcelona’s 7-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen.
He remains the second-highest scorer in Champions League history with 129 goals, behind Ronaldo.
Breaking Barcelona’s scoring record
Messi broke Barcelona’s long-standing goalscoring record at just 24 years old.
He achieved the feat with a hat-trick in a 5-3 win over Granada on March 20, 2012.
He equalled Cesar Rodriguez’s 60-year-old record of 232 goals with his first goal, surpassed it with his second and extended the record with his third.
By the time he left Barcelona in 2021, Messi had increased the record to 672 goals.
91 goals in one calendar year
One of Messi’s most extraordinary achievements came in 2012, when he scored 91 goals in a calendar year.
He reached the landmark during Barcelona’s 3-1 victory over Real Valladolid on December 22.
Of those goals, 79 came for Barcelona and 12 for Argentina across 69 matches.
The remarkable achievement helped Messi win his fourth consecutive Ballon d’Or.
Becoming La Liga’s all-time top scorer
Messi broke another major record with a hat-trick in Barcelona’s 5-1 victory over Sevilla on November 22, 2014.
He equalled Telmo Zarra’s record of 251 La Liga goals with a free-kick before scoring again to become the league’s outright leading scorer.
He eventually finished with 474 La Liga goals, comfortably ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s 311 for Real Madrid.
500th Barcelona goal in El Clasico
Messi’s 500th goal for Barcelona came in dramatic fashion.
On April 23, 2017, he scored an injury-time winner in Barcelona’s 3-2 victory over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
The goal was his 500th for Barcelona and moved his side to the top of the table at the time.
His celebration became iconic as he removed his shirt and held it up towards the Real Madrid supporters.
Emotional Barcelona departure
In August 2021, football witnessed the unexpected end of Messi’s 21-year association with Barcelona.
After scoring 672 goals and winning 35 trophies, Messi left the club on a free transfer because Barcelona could not register the new contract they had agreed due to La Liga’s salary restrictions.
At an emotional press conference, a tearful Messi said: “My family and I were convinced we were going to stay here, at home.
“I don’t want to leave this club – it’s a club I love and this is a moment I didn’t expect.”
Despite interest from Manchester City, Messi eventually joined Paris St-Germain.
First major international trophy with Argentina
Messi finally won his first senior international trophy on July 11, 2021, when Argentina defeated Brazil 1-0 in the Copa America final at the Maracana.
He was named player of the tournament after scoring four goals.
Messi fell to the ground in emotion after the final whistle before being lifted into the air by his teammates as they celebrated.
He later won another Copa America title three years afterwards.
World Cup glory in 2022
The World Cup was the trophy that had eluded Messi for much of his career.
Argentina defeated France on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw in the 2022 final, with Messi scoring twice and converting his penalty in the shootout.
He was named the tournament’s best player after scoring seven goals, including goals in every knockout round.
The triumph finally ended one of the biggest arguments surrounding his status as one of the greatest footballers of all time.
Eighth Ballon d’Or
Messi added two more Ballon d’Or awards after leaving Barcelona, winning one during his time at Paris St-Germain and another with Inter Miami.
His eighth and most recent Ballon d’Or came in October 2023, following Argentina’s World Cup triumph and Messi’s role in helping Inter Miami win the Leagues Cup, the club’s first trophy.
“I couldn’t imagine having the career I’ve had and everything I’ve achieved, the fortune I’ve had to be part of the best team in history,” he said.
“All of them [Ballon d’Or awards] are special for different reasons.”
World Cup’s top scorer — briefly
With the 2026 World Cup marking his final appearance at the tournament, Messi produced another memorable campaign.
His eight goals took his World Cup tally to 21, briefly making him the competition’s all-time leading scorer.
Kylian Mbappe later surpassed the mark by reaching 22 goals during France’s third-place play-off defeat by England.
At 39, Messi’s final World Cup ended in disappointment as Argentina lost to Spain in the final, but his individual performances provided another memorable chapter in an extraordinary international career.