Fresh speculation has emerged over Lionel Messi’s international future after Argentine journalist Yanina Latorre claimed the football icon informed his teammates of his retirement plans before the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
The claim follows Argentina’s 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in Sunday’s final, a result that ended the South American champions’ hopes of defending the title they won in Qatar four years earlier.
According to Latorre, Messi delivered an emotional speech inside the dressing room before kick-off, telling his teammates that his time with the national team was coming to an end.
She alleged that the address moved several members of the squad to tears before the captain encouraged everyone to focus on the match.
In a post shared on X, the journalist wrote that Messi’s speech marked what she described as “the end of the Messi era” with Argentina.
Despite the widespread attention generated by the claim, Messi has not publicly announced his retirement from international football.
DailyInsightNG gathered that the 39-year-old featured in his sixth FIFA World Cup during the tournament, further fuelling speculation that it could be his final appearance on football’s biggest stage.
The Inter Miami forward enjoyed another impressive campaign, finishing with eight goals and four assists as Argentina reached a second consecutive World Cup final.
Although Argentina fell short against Spain, Messi remained one of the standout performers of the tournament and narrowly missed out on individual honours, finishing behind Spain’s Rodri for the Golden Ball and France’s Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Boot race.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner remains Argentina’s most prolific player, with 125 goals and 68 assists in 207 international appearances.
For now, uncertainty surrounds his future with the national team, as neither Messi nor the Argentine Football Association has officially confirmed whether he has played his final international match.