Lionel Messi made an announcement that he is retiring from international soccer on Monday, August 31, 2026, marking the end of an incredible 20 years’ career at the Argentinean team. At 39 years old, Messi, the captain of the team which won the 2022 World Cup and finished second place in the 2026 World Cup, ended up as the leading goal scorer of Argentina with 125 goals. Messi stated that he had penned his goodbye letter right after their loss in the 2026 final match against Spain; however, he postponed making it public because of the death of his father, Jorge.