Lionel Messi may end his career with the Argentina national team.

World Cup 2026 final defeat to Spain may prompt Argentina national team captain Lionel Messi to end his international career. Goal reported this, citing Argentine journalist Hernan Castillo, according to the report.

 

According to him, the 39-year-old footballer told his teammates in the locker room after the final that the match against Spain was his last game for the Argentina national team.

 

However, this information has not yet been officially confirmed. Messi himself has not made any statement about ending his international career.

 

TyC Sports, meanwhile, wrote that this news should be approached with caution. According to the publication, Messi had not made a final decision on his international career before the World Cup began and had not told those close to him about such plans.

 

After the final, Messi addressed fans on social media, expressing gratitude to everyone who supported the team. He also assessed Argentina reaching the World Cup final for the second consecutive time as a great achievement and congratulated the Spain national team on their championship.

 

In the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi participated in 8 matches, scoring 8 goals and providing 4 assists.

 

Let us recall that Messi had also announced his departure from the Argentina national team after the defeat in the 2016 Copa America final. However, a few months later, he changed his decision and returned to the national team. Subsequently, he won the Copa America in 2021 and 2024, as well as the 2022 World Cup with Argentina.