Argentina captain Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, saying the decision "hurt" but that "the time has come". The 39-year-old, who led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, leaves as the country's all-time leading scorer and most-capped player, having said he has "nothing left to give" but wanted to make way for emerging young talent.

Messi scored 125 goals in 207 appearances for Argentina, and is the second-highest scorer in World Cup history with 21 goals, behind France's Kylian Mbappe. He revealed he wrote his retirement message on 21 July, days after Argentina's World Cup final defeat by Spain this summer, and that the decision was reinforced by the recent death of his father, Jorge, aged 68. Messi, who won two Copa America titles and eight Ballon d'Ors with Argentina, first retired from international duty in 2016 before reversing the decision; he will continue playing club football for Inter Miami, where his contract runs until the end of the 2028 season.