(FILES) Argentina's forward Lionel Messi leaves the field at the end of the FIFA WC Brazil 2014 South American qualifier match at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, on November 11, 2011. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. Argentine football player Lionel Messi said on August 31, 2026, he is retiring from international football after leading Argentina to a second successive World Cup final. (Photo by Alejandro PAGNI / AFP via Getty Images)