Thearabianstories iconThearabianstoriesAug 31, 2026

Lionel Messi retires from Argentina national team after 21 legendary years

The 39-year-old Argentine captain announced his decision following a period of reflection after Argentina's defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, saying the decision "hurt and still hurts" but that he felt the time had come to step away. "After this time that has passed since the final, after …

Lionel Messi retires from Argentina national team after 21 legendary years

Share this story

Send the public story page.

Useful takeaways from this story.

The 39-year-old Argentine captain announced his decision following a period of reflection after Argentina's defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, saying the decision "hurt and still hurts" but...

"After this time that has passed since the final, after …

BUENOS AIRES: The 39-year-old Argentine captain announced his decision following a period of reflection after Argentina's defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, saying the decision "hurt and...

Building the complete brief

The page is ready to read now. The fuller skim-friendly version will appear here automatically.

The useful part

The 39-year-old Argentine captain announced his decision following a period of reflection after Argentina's defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, saying the decision "hurt and still hurts" but that he felt the time had come to step away. "After this time that has passed since the final, after …

How it works

  • The 39-year-old Argentine captain announced his decision following a period of reflection after Argentina's defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, saying the decision "hurt and still hurts" but...

Details worth keeping

"After this time that has passed since the final, after …

Keep reading in the app

Open the app view to save this story, compare related coverage, and continue from the same source.

Open in app