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Messi retires from Argentina national team

Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from the Argentina national team. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner announced this on his Instagram page.

"After the World Cup final, after thinking everything through, I want to announce that I am leaving the national team. This decision was painful for me and still hurts my heart. But now I understand that the time has come. I can assure you that I have always given my all - not only in recent years, when we have won all the trophies, but also before. I have always fought for this shirt and I have given my all to share your joy and to make you proud to be Argentine," Messi wrote.

The 39-year-old made his debut for the national team in August 2005. The striker's last match for the Albiceleste was the 2026 World Cup final against Spain on July 19.

Earlier, the Inter Miami striker scored 4 goals in the MLS match against Montreal Impact. In this match, the Miami team won 7-1.

For information, Messi defended the honor of the Spanish teams Barcelona and French PSG before moving to the US championship. In total, Messi played in 1,164 matches during his career and scored 927 goals.

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