07/10/2026
🇦🇷 Farewell to the Greatest — Thank You, Leo
From a heartbreaking 40-second debut to lifting the World Cup, Lionel Messi’s journey with Argentina has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Across 208 appearances, 126 goals and 69 assists, Messi experienced everything: early promise, devastating defeats, lost finals, criticism, a brief international retirement and, ultimately, redemption.
He came agonisingly close in 2014 before losing the World Cup final to Germany, then suffered consecutive Copa América final defeats in 2015 and 2016. But he returned stronger, finally winning the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 World Cup, the trophy that completed his international legacy.
Another Copa América title followed in 2024, before Messi delivered one final remarkable World Cup campaign in 2026 at the age of 39.
His Argentina career was never just about statistics or trophies. It was a story of resilience, pressure, heartbreak and redemption. Messi was once compared endlessly to Maradona and criticised for what he had not achieved with his country. Eventually, he stopped chasing someone else’s legacy and created his own.
From a 40-second nightmare in his debut to World Cup glory in Lusail — Lionel Messi’s Argentina story is one of football’s greatest journeys.
Thank you for everything, Leo. 🇦🇷🐐❤️