Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi played his last match for Argentina on 6 October 2026, a 3-0 win over Benin in Buenos Aires in which he scored [4] [1]. Before that he had won a record eight Ballon d'Or awards, and he had lifted the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 [6] [9].

From Rosario to the Camp Nou

Messi was born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Argentina [1] [7]. He joined Barcelona at 13, in 2000 [8]. His senior debut for the club came at 16, in a 2003 friendly against Porto [8]. His La Liga debut followed in October 2004, and his first league goal came the next May, against Albacete [8].

His international debut came later, in a friendly against Hungary in Budapest on 17 August 2005, a 2-1 win for Argentina [5].

Ten La Liga titles and the 2012 season

Between 2004 and 2021 he won 10 La Liga titles, seven Spanish Cups, seven Spanish Super Cups, four Champions Leagues, three UEFA Super Cups and three FIFA Club World Cups [8].

The peak came in 2012. He scored 91 goals in all competitions that calendar year, which the Reuters factbox describes as a record for a calendar year [8]. In the 2011-12 season he scored 50 La Liga goals, a single-season record [8].

He left Barcelona in August 2021 as the club's all-time top scorer [8].

Paris, Miami and the 2023 Ballon d'Or

He joined Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021. He won Ligue 1 in his first season there, scoring 11 goals in all competitions, and he won another Ligue 1 title in 2022-23 [8].

He joined Inter Miami in July 2023 [8]. The club's profile lists him as No. 10 and a forward [1].

On 30 October 2023, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France Football named him the best men's player for an eighth time, a record [6]. He finished ahead of Erling Haaland, the Manchester City striker [6].

Qatar 2022: the World Cup at last

The 2022 final, played on 18 December in Qatar, finished 3-3 after extra time. Argentina then won the penalty shootout [9]. Messi scored from the penalty spot in that match and scored twice in the final overall [9] [8].

He won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player [9]. The Reuters factbox records that he was the first player to win the award twice [8]. Argentina's 2022 title was its third World Cup and its first since 1986 [9].

Before that final, the factbox records 2014, when he scored four goals and won the Golden Ball, and 2018, with one goal and two assists [8].

Inter Miami and the 2025 MLS Cup

Messi was named MVP of the MLS Cup 2025, which Inter Miami won against Vancouver, the club's first MLS Cup title [10]. In the postseason he recorded 15 goal contributions, six goals and nine assists, a single-postseason record [10].

The 2026 Asturias award

On 3 June 2026 the Princess of Asturias Foundation announced that Messi would receive its Sports award [2]. The jury cited his "exceptional sporting career" and his "formidable and continued charitable work to promote access to education and health care" for disadvantaged children [2].

The jury also praised his "exemplary behaviour on the field" and his "consistency, humility and commitment to the team game" [2].

The 2026 World Cup final

Argentina reached the 2026 final, which Spain won 1-0 after extra time on 19 July 2026 [3] [5]. Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute [3].

Messi scored eight goals at that tournament [3] [8]. The day after the final he posted on Instagram, and in English translation he wrote that "the pain is immense and it will take time for this wound to heal", and he congratulated Spain on the championship [3].

Retirement from Argentina

Messi announced his retirement from international football on 31 August 2026 [8] [4].

Before his last match, the totals reported were 207 caps, 125 goals and 68 assists [4].

World Soccer Talk and the Inter Miami profile describe a 3-0 win over Benin at the Monumental in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026, in which Messi scored [4] [1]. The RSSSF list of his international appearances stops at cap 207, the 2026 World Cup final against Spain, and so does not include that match [5].