Messi announced the decision in a social media post

Lionel Messi has announced that he is ending his career with the Argentina national team. The 39-year-old said the decision made him sad, but that the time had come, as he bid farewell to his country's shirt.

Messi, who led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar, said in his post that he had given everything he could for the national team. The star forward also stressed that younger players should now be given room to emerge, adding in a brief statement

Messi said, "I have nothing left to give."

Messi said he had written his farewell message on July 21, two days after Argentina's summer World Cup final defeat to Spain. In a post on Instagram on Monday, he also said that what he had gone through involving his father had made him even more certain about his decision.

He set records in an Argentina shirt

Messi ended his international career with 207 matches and 125 goals. That record made him both Argentina's all-time top scorer and the player with the most appearances in the national team's history.

Messi made his Argentina debut in 2005, coming on as a substitute in a friendly against Hungary, where he was shown a straight red card in less than a minute. What began as a difficult start later turned into one of the greatest careers in the country's football history, with World Cup glory and two Copa America titles.

According to figures cited in the source, Messi ranks second in World Cup history with 21 goals, behind France's Kylian Mbappe. He also sits second in all international goals with 125, behind Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo.

He will continue his club career at Inter Miami

With the Argentina chapter now closed, Messi's professional career will continue at club level. The Argentine star's contract with Inter Miami runs through the end of the 2028 season.

Messi said in early August that he had begun to reassess his football future after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who died at the age of 68 following a long illness. His latest statement makes clear that he will now focus solely on his club career.