The 39-year-old has officially confirmed his retirement from international football, just over a month after taking Argentina to a second successive World Cup final.
Messi has been prolific for his country, scoring an incredible 125 goals in 207 games, making him the most capped and highest scoring player in Argentinian history.
He’s also the player with the most World Cup appearances (34), second highest scorer in the competition’s history (21), and eventual winner in 2022, beating France 4-2 on penalties in the final.
In an emotional message posted on Instagram, Messi made the announcement, saying: "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 National Team.
"It was a decision that hurt - and still hurts deep down - but I understand that the time has come.
"I swear to you that I always gave it my all - not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too; I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.
"Time is running short, chapters come to a close, and this is one that hurts me deeply. I love, have loved, and will always love being part of the National Team.
"I’ve given everything I had; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are some great young players coming up who deserve to be here.
"Thank you for all the affection over these past 20 years. I will miss hearing you from the pitch so much. Now I’ll be just one of you, cheering and supporting from the outside (through the good times and the bad—especially the bad)."
This is technically the second time Messi has retired from international football, calling it quits back in 2016 following Argentina’s Copa América final defeat to Chile.
Messi then made his return a couple of months later, allowing him to then go on to win the Copa America and, of course, the World Cup.