Messi retires from Argentina national team after 20-year career

Lionel Messi announced on Monday that he is retiring from the Argentina national team, ending a career with the national side that lasted two decades. The 38-year-old forward said the decision was painful for him and that he had given everything while wearing the Argentina shirt. In a statement, Messi expressed pride in the achievements reached with the national team and thanked fans, his family, teammates and everyone who stood with him throughout his career. He said he would continue to support the team from the outside. Messi said he finalized the decision in his mind two days after the final and grew more certain about it following the death of his father. He had captained Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title in Qatar. Argentina's next match is against Venezuela on Thursday in Miami.