Lionel Messi has opened up about the deeply personal circumstances behind his retirement from international football, revealing that his farewell message was written long before it was shared with the public.
The Inter Miami captain announced his decision on August 31, bringing an end to an extraordinary Argentina career that included 207 appearances, 125 goals and the long-awaited World Cup triumph in Qatar.
Yet the words published by Messi were not written in the days immediately before the announcement. According to Mundo Deportivo, the 39-year-old completed his emotional letter on July 21, just two days after Argentina had lost the 2026 World Cup final to Spain.
The decision was made after the final
Argentina entered the final hoping to retain the trophy won four years earlier, but Ferran Torres’ goal in extra time secured a 1–0 victory for Spain. For Messi, the defeat represented more than the loss of another major final, as it also forced him to confront the approaching end of his time with the national team.
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“After all this time since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to tell everyone that I am retiring from the national team,” Messi wrote. “It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep inside, but I understand that this is the right moment.”
The forward insisted that his departure was not driven by a lack of affection for Argentina. Instead, he described himself as emotionally and physically empty after more than 20 years of carrying the expectations of an entire country through painful defeats, fierce criticism and, eventually, historic success.
“I love, I loved and I will always love being part of the national team,” he continued. “I gave everything I had, and I don’t have anything more to give. There are also great young players coming through who deserve to be here.”
His father’s death removed the final doubt
Messi had kept the letter private for several weeks when his father, Jorge Messi, died in early August. Jorge had been one of the most important figures in his son’s life, acting as both an adviser and representative throughout a career that began in Rosario and developed into one of the greatest football stories ever witnessed.
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The loss appears to have had a profound effect on Messi. As described by Gulf News, his father had wanted to see him compete at another World Cup despite his declining health, giving the 2026 tournament an even greater emotional significance for the family.
Messi addressed that connection in the final line of his retirement announcement. “I wrote these words on July 21, two days after the final,” he explained. “Today, after what happened with my dad, I am even more convinced of this decision than before.”
Those words added another layer to an already emotional farewell. Messi had initially reached his decision in the aftermath of a devastating sporting defeat, but the death of the man who had guided his career from childhood ultimately convinced him not to change his mind.
From painful defeats to complete redemption
Messi previously walked away from international football in 2016 after Argentina lost the Copa América final against Chile. He later reversed that decision and returned to lead a generation that transformed his relationship with the national team.
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Argentina won the Copa América in 2021, the Finalissima in 2022 and the World Cup later that year. Another Copa América title followed in 2024 before Messi led his country to a third World Cup final in 2026, where Spain prevented him from completing another historic triumph.
“I leave with peace and pride, knowing that together with my teammates we gave you moments we once dreamed of,” Messi wrote. “It was crazy to experience all of this with you. I love you.”
His retirement only applies to international football. Messi remains captain of Inter Miami and has already returned to the pitch, providing the assist for Casemiro during Wednesday’s 1–1 draw against Chicago Fire.
The official Inter Miami match report confirmed that the assist was Messi’s 13th of the MLS season, placing him at the top of the league’s assist chart. Even after closing the most emotional chapter of his career, his influence on the pitch remains unmistakable.
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