September 3, 2026
Argentine football legend Lionel Messi to be recognized this weekend
Written byDwight Fraser
The Argentine Football League will pay tribute to Lionel Messi following his retirement from international football, by pausing all of their matches in the 10th minute this weekend for one minute of applause.
The 39-year-old Messi, who wore the number 10 shirt for Argentina, announced his retirement from the national side on Monday.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who captained Argentina to World Cup glory at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, played his last match for his country in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where Argentina lost 1-nil to Spain on July 19.
Messi has the most appearances for his country, with 207 matches. He first retired from international football back in 2016, but later reversed his decision.
His decision came following a defeat to Chile in the Copa América final, in which he missed a penalty in the shootout, as Argentina lost a fourth major final in nine years.
The former Barcelona forward went on to win one World Cup and two Copa América titles with Argentina, scoring a record 125 goals.
He is the second-highest goal scorer in World Cup history, with 21 goals, behind France’s Kylian Mbappé, who has 22.
He is also second on the all-time international goal-scoring chart, with 125 goals, behind Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 146.
