Lionel Messi’s international retirement serves as a reminder: Watch him while you still can

The Argentine’s career with Argentina was singular, and his exit is a reminder that all good things come to an end It was among the defining moments of the 2026 World Cup: Argentina captain Lionel Messi standing arms akimbo, looking up towards Argentina’s most fervent supporters after losing the World Cup final.

Tears were streaming down his face after Argentina’s embarrassing loss against Spain in what we now know was Messi’s final match wearing that iconic Argentina kit.

It was not the first time he’d cried at the tournament.

There had been tears of joy in Argentina’s opening match, when Messi rolled back the clock to his glory days with a trio of spectacular goals against Algeria.

There had been more when his brace against Austria pushed Argentina through to the knockout round, and even more when his equalizer against Egypt threw la Albiceleste a much-needed lifeline.

Later, the world found out that Messi had been struggling all the while with the health struggles of his father , Jorge, a fact that clearly weighed heavily on him at all times as Argentina made a dramatic return to the final in a bid to defend their 2022 title.

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