Lionel Messi's retirement from the Argentina national team has led to emotional reactions from teammates, politicians and football organisations. Messi announced his decision through a social media post on Monday, saying that he had thought about it for a long time and felt that the moment had arrived to step away from the national team.
The 39-year-old had written the message two days after Argentina's 2026 World Cup final against Spain but chose to publish it later.
Among the first to react was Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, who shared an emotional tribute to Messi. De Paul praised his former teammate's leadership, strength and love for Argentina while calling him "the greatest of all time."
Reactions Pour In
Rodrigo de Paul: Your unconditional love for our country, your inner battles to never give up, your strength to always endure injustice, your leadership and humanity with every player who stepped onto the training ground, making sure they felt comfortable, and the care you showed every member of staff in our national team...
Just thank you. The greatest of all time. Thank you for making us so incredibly happy. You can’t imagine how many smiles you brought to our faces!!
You are eternal
Himanta Biswa Sarma: An era ends.
Thank you, Leo, for every bit of magic. What a privilege it has been to watch you play. Heartbroken like every fan today, and I know my entire family will feel it too.
GOAT for life
FIFA World Cup: Thank you, Leo.
Messi announced retirement after a remarkable international career spanning more than two decades. He made his Argentina debut in 2005 and went on to become the country's record appearance-maker and leading goalscorer. He won the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa America with Argentina.
His final appearance for Argentina came in the 2026 World Cup final, where Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain. Messi said he had written his retirement message on July 21, two days after that final, but added that after the death of his father Jorge Messi he was now more convinced about the decision.
