# Messi leaves Argentina national team after two decades of glory and heartbreak

https://mins.news/en/video/39582

- Al Jazeera English, 2026-09-01 02:09 UTC
- Sports
- Original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOwUjH51vXc

> Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from Argentina’s national team after 20 years. The 39-year-old, once compared with Diego Maradona, silenced critics by winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and became a unifying figure beyond the country’s political and social divisions, while Buenos Aires fans celebrate his talent and humility with murals and tributes.

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