Lionel Messi’s 10 most iconic moments as the Argentine legend retires from international football

File Pic – Argentina’s Lionel Messi kisses the trophy after winning the 2022 World Cup. (Photo by AP/PTI) Lionel Messi has finally closed the book on his extraordinary Argentine career.At the age of 39, after nearly two decades wearing the famous blue and white shirt, Messi announced his retirement from international football, ending the journey that took him from teenage debutant in 2005 to Argentina captain and World Cup-winning legend. He leaves after six World Cups, two Copa America titles and the biggest prize of all — the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He also led Argentina to the 2026 World Cup final, where they lost to Spain.Messi’s international career was not always what it became. 2016 saw lost finals, criticism and even a brief retirement from international football. But the latest chapter has changed his legacy, with Argentina winning the Copa America in 2021, the World Cup in 2022 and another Copa America in 2024. His decision to leave now brings an emotional end to one of football’s greatest international careers.Messi said the decision was painful but that he understood the time had come. He revealed that he wrote his retirement statement on July 21, two days after Argentina’s 2026 World Cup final defeat to Spain, but waited to publish it because his father was facing serious health problems.From his first World Cup goal to his long-awaited international triumph, here are 10 moments that defined Messi’s remarkable journey.1. World Cup debut and first goal — 2006Messi made his mark on football’s biggest stage as an 18-year-old at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Against Serbia and Montenegro, he came off the bench to assist Hernán Crespo and then score in a 6–0 victory. He became the youngest player and scorer of the Argentine World Cup at the time.2. Meeting with Diego Maradona — 2010The 2010 World Cup brought Messi together with another Argentine icon, Diego Maradona, who was the coach of the national team at the time. Messi arrived in South Africa as one of the world’s biggest stars after impressing at Barcelona, ​​but Argentina’s campaign ended with a heavy quarter-final defeat to Germany. Nevertheless, the tournament marked an important stage in Messi’s development as the face of Argentine football.3. Breaking Barcelona’s points record — 2012Messi surpassed César Rodríguez to become Barcelona’s all-time top scorer with a hat-trick against Granada on 20 March 2012. He equaled the mark of 232 goals with his first goal, broke it with the second and extended it with the third. He eventually left Barcelona with 672 goals, a record that underlined his extraordinary influence at the club.4. Year 2012 with 91 goalsMessi had one of the most amazing years football has ever seen in 2012. He finished with 91 goals for Barcelona and Argentina, including 79 for his club and 12 for his country. The remarkable result broke Gerd Müller’s previous calendar record and earned Messi his fourth Ballon d’Or in a row.5. Breaking the La Liga points record — 2014Another hat trick brought another historical record. Messi scored three times against Sevilla in November 2014 to overtake Telmo Zarra as La Liga’s all-time top scorer. Zarr’s record of 251 goals had stood since 1955. Messi eventually finished his La Liga career with 474 goals, still comfortably ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s 311 goals for Real Madrid.6. First Senior International Trophy — 2021For years, the biggest criticism of Messi’s Argentina career has been his failure to win a senior international trophy. That finally changed at the Maracana in July 2021. Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 in the Copa America final, with Ángel Di María scoring the decisive goal. Messi, who scored four goals during the tournament, was named its best player. The emotional images of Messi collapsing at the final whistle and being picked up by his teammates have become symbolic of years of frustration finally being released.7. World Cup glory in Qatar — 2022That was the moment that completed Messi’s collection. Argentina beat France on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw in the 2022 World Cup final. Messi scored twice, converted Argentina’s first penalty in the shootout, and was named the tournament’s best player after seven goals. He became the first player to score in every round of the tournament as Argentina ended a 36-year wait for a World Cup.8. Eighth Ballon d’Or – 2023The triumph in the World Cup also brought another individual milestone. Messi won a record eighth Ballon d’Or in 2023, with his performances in Qatar largely contributing to his victory. It was another reminder that his international success has finally caught up with the individual brilliance he has displayed throughout his career.9. World Cup Top Scorer (briefly)The Argentina captain produced another remarkable campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scoring eight goals to take his World Cup tally to 21 – briefly becoming the tournament’s top scorer. Kylian Mbappé then moved past him to 22 goals in the third-place match against England.10. His last World Cup — 2026Messi’s World Cup final provided the final chapter to his extraordinary Argentina story. At the age of 39, he led Argentina to the final, where they suffered a 0:1 defeat in extra time against Spain. However, his individual campaign provided another memorable chapter on football’s biggest stage.Two days after this final, Messi has already made up his mind.There will never be another Messi for Argentina. For almost 20 years, he carried the weight of a football-mad nation, endured the disappointment of losing finals and finally delivered the trophies his country craved.