Messi international retirement: Inter Miami star makes England World Cup admission in emotional speech after Argentina farewell game

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By Ben Sully | 07 Oct 2026 15:09, Last updated: 07 Oct 2026 15:10

Lionel Messi admitted the semi-final triumph implicit England astatine the 2026 World Cup took a "huge toll" connected the squad up of the last decision to Spain.

Messi, who announced his planetary status successful August, made his last Argentina quality successful an affectional evening astatine the Estadio Monumental connected Tuesday.

The 39-year-old provided 2 assists earlier helium scored from the punishment spot successful the 3-0 victory implicit Benin, taking him to 126 goals and 67 assists in 208 planetary appearances.

Messi addressed the assemblage aft the match, delivering a adjacent 10-minute farewell code successful which helium expressed his "pride" of representing Argentina for 21 years connected the planetary stage.

"Saddest day" - Messi makes planetary status admission

“It was a immense root of pridefulness for maine to support this jersey for much than 20 years,” Messi told the 85,000 assemblage successful attendance.

"Even successful the worst moments we went done and that I had, I ne'er stopped fighting, ne'er stopped being here.

“Not coming immoderate much is going to beryllium profoundly painful. I curse I’d similar to play for the remainder of my life, due to the fact that playing for the Argentina nationalist squad is the astir beauteous happening that tin hap to you.”

Messi besides told the assemblage however pugnacious it is to locomotion distant from the nationalist squad contempt achieving everything determination is to execute successful planetary football.

“Now I’m present connected the saddest time of my career, which is the time I person to accidental goodbye to the nationalist team, goodbye to each of you," Messi said.

"But present I’ll beryllium connected that broadside [with the fans], supporting each the boys, everyone who comes in. Always united.”

Messi reveals toll of England World semi-final win

Messi besides offered an mentation for Argentina's underwhelming show successful the 1-0 decision to Spain successful the World Cup final, revealing the melodramatic semi-final triumph implicit England took a "huge toll" connected the squad.

"Even though I privation to beryllium present each my life, I consciousness that this is the moment. The past World Cup was excessively much, everything I had to unrecorded through," Messi added.

"We had the imagination of fulfilling my imagination and the imagination of the full country, of becoming satellite champions again.

"In the past World Cup we were precise close, and the world is that thing unusual happened, arsenic radical say.

"The lucifer against England took a immense toll connected america physically. Emotionally, it was precise big.

"We arrived with conscionable enough, we fought similar we ever did with this jersey, with each the teammates I got to beryllium with and stock things with, not lone them but besides those who were astir successful the clip erstwhile we managed to win. We were precise close."

Having bid farewell to his nationalist side, Messi volition instrumentality to the United States to proceed his nine vocation with Inter Miami, who are successful enactment this play against DC United.

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