The boots, emblazoned with “El ultimo tango”, marked Messi’s final international performance.
Removing his boots after the 2026 final, tears held back as fans sang, he sensed the curtain had fallen.
While still dazzling MLS with four goals for Inter Miami, Messi confirmed on Monday that his 21‑year, 207‑cap, 125‑goal Argentina saga was over.
He wrote the July 21 statement two days after the Spain loss, then spent six weeks reflecting and mourning his father Jorge.
“After my dad’s passing, I’m even more sure this is right,” he said.
He departs with peace and pride, having delivered Copa America crowns in 2021 and 2024 and the 2022 World Cup.
He spoke of pain, using “doler” three times to describe a deep soul ache, recalling a beautiful yet hard journey and saying, “I gave everything—I have nothing left to give.”
At moments this tournament, it seemed that way.
Messi sparked brilliance, yet there were stretches when the ball slipped away and teammates pleaded for a spark—until, dramatically, it arrived.
He repeatedly dug deep: three goals versus Algeria, two against Austria, one as a sub versus Jordan, plus clutch strikes against Egypt and England that silenced earlier critics.
Against Spain in the final, the magic eluded him, the chance simply passed.
Expecting another winner at 39 against a superior side, while teammates favored physicality over rhythm, proved too lofty even for Messi.
There was no fairy‑tale ending, but for my money, his legacy is already complete.
His Argentina tenure, launched in a 2005 friendly with Hungary, split into early disappointments—three final losses and a brief 2016 retirement—and a later era of triumphs, including two Copa Americas and Qatar 2022 glory.
Imagine if he’d never returned after his first retirement.
“The national team is over for me,” he told reporters after missing a penalty in the 2016 Copa América final, citing four defeats and refusing to look back.
Back then, Argentina seemed a trial for Messi, constantly measured against the flamboyant Diego Maradona.
Maradona thrived in 1986, while Messi’s early World Cups brought hope and heartache, prompting his initial exit.
Support from fans, teammates and President Mauricio Macri coaxed him back, yet the 2018 World Cup invited fresh criticism, even from Maradona, who warned against idolising Messi.
That backdrop makes his second‑half achievements all the more impressive.
Leadership didn’t come easy, but under Scaloni’s structure Messi grew into the nation’s talisman, turning each Copa America win into another step toward greatness.
Winning the World Cup at 35, after near‑elimination against Mexico and Poland and tense knockout battles, crowned a career that defied age.
He fell to his knees, thanked the heavens, and called the trophy “the dream of my childhood.”
Long hailed as one of history’s greats, his résumé now rivals only Pele and Maradona.
Guardiola said the World Cup didn’t alter his view of Messi as the greatest, and he was right.
Guardiola called the triumph “the final achievement of an incredible career,” yet Messi still chased more: a Ballon d’Or, a second Ligue 1 title, and MLS silverware, before the inevitable farewell.
His last World Cup unfolded while his father battled a long illness, passing on August 8.
Messi’s social‑media note recalled his dad urging him to play one more tournament, only to fall ill days before it began.
“I wanted to win for you, but I couldn’t,” he wrote, describing his physical limits and the pain of missing his father at the final.
The statement left him sounding bereft, “so close to the end” without his biggest supporter.
He’ll keep starring for Miami, yet his comment about “not much time left” hints uncertainty about honoring his 2028 contract.
Five years of farewells—from Barcelona to Europe to Argentina—have hurt, but after “el ultimo tango,” his focus shifts to a final MLS act.
Sooner or later, the day will come for Messi to hang up his boots forever.
Even if he seems determined, those feet can’t dance forever—will his next chapter be a quiet retirement or a surprise comeback?