@dailymail: Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football following Argentina's defeat in the World Cup final to Spain last month. The 39-year-old revealed that he made the decision to retire following the final, and that the death of his father Jorge at the start of the month he's 'even more convinced than before'. In a statement on Instagram he wrote: 'After all this time that has passed since the final, and after much thought, I want to announce to everyone that I am retiring from the National Team…’ 'It was a decision that hurt, and still hurts, to my core, but I understand that it's the right time. I swear that I always gave my all, not just in the last few years when we won everything, but before that too. I always fought and gave everything for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you proud to be Argentinian through football.’ #messi #football #worldcup #argentina

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Monday 31 August 2026 16:09:07 GMT