Lionel Messi retires from international football - here's why he's the GOAT

Superstar striker Lionel Messi has announced he is retiring from international football after more than 20 years playing for Argentina.

This means he will still play for his club, Inter Miami, but will not play for his country or take part in international tournaments.

The 39-year-old captained Argentina when they won the World Cup in 2022, and led the team to the final again this summer, where they lost to Spain.

In a statement on social media, he said it was a decision that "hurt" but that "the time has come".

Let's take a closer look at some of the most memorable moments from Messi's incredible career.

In 2000, Messi was signed by Barcelona aged just 13, with the contract written on a paper napkin!

His first senior goal for the Spanish club came in 2005 when he was 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old.

At the time, he became Barcelona's youngest ever league goalscorer.

He stayed at Barcelona for 17 seasons and set club records with 672 goals in 778 matches.

Messi also won 10 Spanish League championships and four Champions League titles, before leaving for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.

Messi also shone on the international stage, making his senior debut for Argentina in 2005.

He scored his first international goal for his country a year later.

He is Argentina's record goalscorer, with 125 goals and 46 assists.

He has also made more appearances for Argentina than any other player, with 207.

At his first World Cup in 2006, Messi became the youngest player to represent and score for Argentina at the tournament, scoring in his debut match.

Messi made his sixth World Cup appearance when he captained Argentina at the 2026 tournament.

By doing so, he became the first player in history to feature at six different men's World Cups.

He is also the tournament's second-highest goalscorer in history, with 21 goals - one goal behind France's Kylian Mbappé.

At the Fifa World Cup in Qatar, Messi captained Argentina to a dramatic win over France in the final.

The game finished 3-3 after extra time, and Argentina won the penalty shoot‑out 4-2.

Messi scored twice in the match before lifting the famous gold trophy his country's third men's World Cup title.

The Ballon d'Or is an annual event where the famous golden trophy is given to the best footballer of the year.

It is voted for by football journalists from all around the world.

Plenty of huge names have won the award over the years, including five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo and current holder of the title Ousmane Dembélé.

However, Messi holds the record for the most Ballon d'Or wins in history - with eight.