"The thought that we may not be able to see him in that jersey anymore is truly heartbreaking." That's former Indian international KT Chacko, speaking for a football-mad state where Messi's cut-outs still line the streets. Kerala's relationship with Argentine football runs deep, and Messi's retirement has landed there like a gut punch.
But it's landed everywhere, really. Two decades with Argentina. 203 caps. 124 goals — more than anyone in South American international history. Six World Cups. And one ending that, for once, came on his own terms rather than in defeat.
From penalty villain to world champion
The arc of Messi's international career was not a straight line to glory. Argentina lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany. They lost the 2016 Copa America final to Chile — after which Messi announced his retirement, only to reverse the decision months later. Two major final defeats in two years, with him as the focal point of the blame.
Then came the turnaround. Copa America 2021. World Cup 2022, where Argentina drew 3-3 with France in one of the finest finals the tournament has ever produced before winning on penalties. Messi scored twice and converted his shootout kick. Copa America again in 2024. The man who once couldn't win it for Argentina ended up winning almost everything there was to win.
At the 2026 World Cup — his sixth — he scored eight goals and added four assists, including his first-ever World Cup hat-trick against Algeria. His final World Cup tally: 21 goals in 34 matches, second all-time behind Kylian Mbappé's 22. That gap will sting for some, but context matters: Mbappé is 26. Messi played six tournaments across 20 years and still finished within one goal of the record.
What comes next
Club football continues. Messi is still at Inter Miami in MLS, where they currently sit fourth with 42 points from 22 matches — 12 wins, six draws, four defeats. His market value to the league, already enormous, only grows now that every MLS appearance becomes one of a finite number. Miami's odds to challenge for honours will still hinge heavily on whether he stays fit.
As for Argentina, they lose the player who redefined what the shirt meant. For 20 years the question was always: can Messi do it for the national team? He answered it, repeatedly, and then walked away at 39 with a World Cup, three Copa Americas, and 124 goals to his name.
KT Chacko says he used to stay up through the night just to watch Messi play. Millions did the same. That part is genuinely over now.
