(FILES) Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi is silhouetted as he warms up before the Spanish League football match between FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on March 30, 2019. 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 LLUIS GENE / AFP via Getty Images)