Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to a 21-year Argentina career that included the 2022 World Cup title.
The 39-year-old confirmed the decision in an Instagram post on August 31, sharing a handwritten notebook entry written in Spanish.
Messi revealed he had first drafted the letter on July 21, two days after Argentina’s World Cup final defeat to Spain in New Jersey.
He held off publishing it following the death of his father, Jorge Messi, on August 8, before deciding the time had come to make the announcement public.
“After the time that has passed since the final, and after giving it a lot of thought, I want to let everyone know that I am retiring from the Argentina national team,” Lionel Messi said in the statement.
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He leaves as Argentina’s all-time leading appearance-maker and goalscorer, closing a chapter that brought the 2022 World Cup, two Copa América titles and a Finalissima, spanning 207 appearances and 125 goals across six World Cups.
While his playing days with Argentina are over, Messi’s project to develop the next generation of talent continues.
Weeks after his international farewell, the Argentine confirmed the return of his youth tournament, the Messi Cup, with Arsenal’s academy among the clubs invited to take part.
The Messi Cup is returning for its second edition, bringing together some of the world’s most recognised football academies in an expanded Under-16 tournament in Miami.
The competition is scheduled to run from October 25 to November 1, 2026, and will feature 16 teams from nine countries, doubling the number of participants from the inaugural edition.
Arsenal’s Under-16 side will compete alongside fellow Premier League academies Chelsea and Manchester City.
The full list of participating clubs includes Inter Miami, Barcelona, Manchester City, Chelsea, Atletico de Madrid, Inter Milan, River Plate, Newell’s Old Boys, Boca Juniors, Arsenal, Ajax, Benfica, Flamengo, Palmeiras, Independiente del Valle and UE Cornellà.
South American representation is strong, with Brazilian clubs Flamengo and Palmeiras joining Argentine sides River Plate, Boca Juniors and Newell’s Old Boys.
The tournament is designed to give young players international experience while allowing clubs to assess emerging talent.
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Matches will be held at Inter Miami’s Florida Blue Training Center in Fort Lauderdale, with the final scheduled to be played at Chase Stadium, the club’s home ground.
Lionel Messi, who founded the tournament through his production company 525 Rosario, said the competition was designed with young players in mind.
“The Messi Cup was created so that the boys can enjoy a unique experience, both on and off the pitch, at a very important stage in their development,” he said in a statement released by Inter Miami.
Fans will be able to follow the tournament on Disney+, ESPN+ and ESPN, though availability may vary by region.
Arsenal’s participation offers their U16 squad a rare opportunity to test themselves against elite academies from Europe and South America on Messi’s own stage, in the same year he closed out his Argentina career.