MESSI RETIREMENT FROM ARGENTINA

Messi: The national team farewell letter was written 2 days after the World Cup final, my father's death solidified this choice

39-year-old Messi announced on social media the end of his 21-year career with the Argentina national team. At the end of his farewell letter, Messi stated that his national team farewell letter was written two days after the World Cup final, and his father's passing made him more certain of this choice than before.

Messi posted a three-page handwritten letter on social media to announce his retirement from the national team. At the end of the statement, Messi wrote: "I wrote these words on July 21st, two days after the final. Today, after what happened to my father, I am more certain of this decision than before."

In the 2026 World Cup final, Messi's Argentina lost 0-1 to Spain, failing to defend their title. On August 7th, Messi's father passed away at the age of 68.## Messi: The national team farewell letter was written 2 days after the World Cup final, my father's death solidified this choice.

In the 2026 World Cup final, Lionel Messi captained Argentina in a hard-fought match against Spain, which ended in a 1-0 defeat for Argentina after extra time. While the final itself was a difficult game for the Albiceleste—who struggled to register a shot on target during the initial 90 minutes—Messi's overall tournament performance was historic.

Here are the key highlights of his performance in the final and throughout the 2026 tournament:

Historic Captaincy: Messi became the first player in football history to captain a national team in three different World Cup finals (2014, 2022, and 2026).
All-Time Record Breaker: During the tournament, Messi became the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history, surpassing Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 goals to reach a career total of 21.
Tournament Stats: He finished the 2026 World Cup with 8 goals and 4 assists, tying with Kylian Mbappé for the most goals in the competition.
Key Moments: His path to the final included a brilliant hat-trick against Algeria in the group stage and two crucial late assists in the 2-1 semifinal victory over England.
Individual Accolades: Despite the loss in the final, his dominant performance throughout the month made him a top contender for his third Golden Ball award as the tournament's best player.

While he couldn't secure a second consecutive trophy, Messi's 2026 campaign further solidified his legacy as the most productive player in World Cup history, with a total of 33 goal contributions across six tournaments.

In the 2026 World Cup final, Messi's Argentina lost 0-1 to Spain, failing to defend their title. On August 7th, Messi's father passed away at the age of 68.

In the 2026 World Cup final, Lionel Messi captained Argentina in a hard-fought match against Spain, which ended in a 1-0 defeat for Argentina after extra time. While the final itself was a difficult game for the Albiceleste—who struggled to register a shot on target during the initial 90 minutes—Messi's overall tournament performance was historic.

Here are the key highlights of his performance in the final and throughout the 2026 tournament:

Historic Captaincy: Messi became the first player in football history to captain a national team in three different World Cup finals (2014, 2022, and 2026).

All-Time Record Breaker: During the tournament, Messi became the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history, surpassing Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 goals to reach a career total of 21.

Tournament Stats: He finished the 2026 World Cup with 8 goals and 4 assists, tying with Kylian Mbappé for the most goals in the competition.

Key Moments: His path to the final included a brilliant hat-trick against Algeria in the group stage and two crucial late assists in the 2-1 semifinal victory over England.

Individual Accolades: Despite the loss in the final, his dominant performance throughout the month made him a top contender for his third Golden Ball award as the tournament's best player.

While he couldn't secure a second consecutive trophy, Messi's 2026 campaign further solidified his legacy as the most productive player in World Cup history, with a total of 33 goal contributions across six tournaments.