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He retired from international football on 6 October 2026, after a 3-0 friendly win over Benin in Buenos Aires, finishing with 208 caps and 126 goals for Argentina — both national records.

He captained Argentina to the 2026 World Cup final, where they lost 1-0 to Spain in extra time.

In 2025, he was named the All Time Men's World Best Player by the IFFHS.

He joined the Major League Soccer club Inter Miami in July 2023, and led them to their first MLS Cup victory in 2025, while also winning back-to-back league MVP awards in 2024 and 2025.

Messi's third major international title arrived when Argentina won the 2024 Copa América.

In 2022, he led Argentina to a World Cup victory, the country's first in 36 years.

Messi was central to ending Argentina's 28-year trophy drought by winning the 2021 Copa América.

Financial difficulties at Barcelona led Messi to depart in August 2021 and sign with Paris Saint-Germain, where he won the Ligue 1 title during both of his seasons there.

In 2020, Messi was named to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team and became the second footballer and second team-sport athlete to surpass $1 billion in career earnings.

After announcing his retirement from international football in 2016, he returned to help Argentina qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Assuming captaincy in 2011, he led Argentina to three consecutive finals in the 2014 World Cup, the 2015 Copa América and the Copa América Centenario, all of which they lost.

During the 2014–15 season, where he became the all-time top scorer in La Liga, he led Barcelona to a historic second treble.

This resulted in Messi winning the first of four consecutive Ballon d'Ors, and by the 2011–12 season he had set the European record for most goals in a season and established himself as Barcelona's all-time top scorer.

Several years after his senior debut in 2005, he won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.