Messi's 10-year odyssey: How the Argentine rewrote his international legacy before retiring

Losing a football match is painful. Losing several — including a World Cup final — is a different kind of hurt altogether. That was Lionel Messi's international story for years.

That pain drove him to retire once. He returned. And a decade later comes another retirement announcement — only this time, his trophy cabinet is full of the silverware that once slipped away.

The first retirement
Messi's first retirement came on June 27, 2016, a day after the Copa America Centenario final against Chile — a repeat of the previous year's final.

Argentina were favourites, but Chile, the defending champions, held them to a goalless draw and took the game to penalties. Messi, Argentina's first taker, sent his effort over the bar. Argentina lost the shootout 4-2.

It was not an isolated defeat. A year earlier, Argentina had lost the 2015 Copa America final to the same Chile — again goalless after 90 minutes, again lost on penalties, this time 4-1.

And the year before that, in 2014 at Brazil, Argentina had reached the World Cup final on the back of Messi's brilliance, only to face a clinical German side fresh off a 7-1 demolition of the hosts in the semifinal.

Argentina had history on their side — no team from outside South America had ever won a World Cup on South American soil. But 90 minutes produced no goals. Gonzalo Higuain squandered a one-on-one chance. Then, in extra time, Germany brought on Mario Gotze. He scored in the 114th minute and six minutes later Germany had made history.

Messi still walked away with the Golden Ball, having scored four goals in the tournament. But he also walked away in tears, as did Argentina.
Going into his 2016 retirement, the only major honour in his cabinet was Olympic gold from Beijing 2008.

The comeback
Argentina was not ready to let its greatest player leave without a trophy — not with the national team at one of its lowest points. Messi announced his return on August 12, 2016. “I love this country and this shirt too much,” he said.

What followed was a slow redemption. A team was rebuilt around him — one that played for him, defended him, and gave everything for him. Messi had become more than a footballer to Argentina; he had become an emotion.

That rebuilt side reached the 2021 Copa America final, where arch-rivals Brazil awaited at the Maracana. Argentina won, and Messi — who had a hand in nine of the team's 12 goals that tournament — had his first major international trophy.

The 2022 Finalissima followed, with Argentina beating European champions Italy. Then came Qatar, and the World Cup that had eluded Argentina for 36 years.

Redemption in Qatar
The campaign began with a shock defeat to Saudi Arabia. From there, Messi led Argentina on a run that took them, through controversy and back-to-back wins, all the way to the final against defending champions France.

Messi scored twice as the match finished 3-3 after extra time. In the shootout, he took Argentina's first kick and scored, setting the tone. Gonzalo Montiel then stepped up with the chance to win it — and didn’t miss.

This time, Messi’s tears were of joy. He finished the tournament with seven goals and three assists, won a second Golden Ball, and returned home to a country chanting his name — a player once seen in the shadow of Diego Maradona, now the man who had finally delivered Argentina's World Cup.

One more final, one more heartbreak
Messi chased glory once more in 2026. This time, Spain stood in the way — and won 1-0.

But he can walk away now with nothing left to prove. He revived the hopes of a country that had grown used to heartbreak, and he answered its faith with a World Cup, two Copa Americas and a Finalissima.

Argentina saw a saviour in Messi. He was exactly that. It is not really goodbye — not in the hearts of Argentinians. They won’t forget.