Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Soccer superstar Lionel Messi says he is retiring from Argentina’s national team.

In a statement on social media, the 39-year-old wrote that "the time has come."

He added, "I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.”

Messi is Argentina’s all-time leading scorer with 125 goals, including 21 in World Cup matches. He led the team to victory in the 2022 World Cup, but came up short in this year's final.

Messi remains the captain of Miami’s professional soccer team.

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