Longtime Argentina soccer star Lionel Messi said on Aug. 31 that he will no longer play for the national team.

Messi, 39, said in an Instagram post that his international retirement “hurts deep down, but I understand that the time has come.”

Messi helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup, and he was one of Argentina’s best players at the 2026 World Cup. The team reached the final match before losing to Spain. Messi scored eight goals and logged four assists during the tournament.

“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,” Messi wrote in a post on Instagram.

Messi thanked supporters of the team, the team’s coaches, his teammates, and his family.

“I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you—alongside my teammates—moments we once only dreamed of,” Messi said. “It was an incredible experience to live this with you all. I love you!”

Messi’s father, Jorge, recently passed away. Following his death, Messi had posted on social media that he did not know what he was going to do without his father and that he was not sure how much longer he would play soccer.

Messi said his father’s death helped him come to the decision to retire.

Messi joined Major League Soccer, the professional sports league in the United States, in 2023. He still plays for Inter Miami CF. Messi scored four goals in the team’s most recent game on Aug. 29.

Rodrigo De Paul, Messi’s teammate on the Argentina national team, said in a tribute on social media that he was grateful for Messi’s “unconditional love for our country” and “strength in always enduring injustices.”

“You are the greatest of all time. Thank you for making us so incredibly happy—you have no idea how many smiles you brought to our faces!” De Paul said.

The Argentina Football Association said in a statement on X: “Thank you for giving us the most beautiful journey of our lives. Your legacy and professionalism will remain forever etched in our hearts. Thank you, Captain. We love you.”