Lionel Messi may already have played his final match for Argentina, with Leandro Paredes revealing that the 39-year-old had seemingly made up his mind about ending his international career before the 2026 World Cup final against Spain.
Argentina’s title defence ended in heartbreak on July 19 as Spain won the final 1-0 in New Jersey. Messi was visibly emotional after the final whistle, but has not publicly announced his retirement from international football.
Paredes, one of Messi’s closest teammates in the Argentina dressing room, has now offered the clearest indication yet that the final may indeed have marked the end of the captain’s extraordinary international career. Speaking to DSports after returning to club duty with Boca Juniors, Paredes admitted that the prospect of Messi’s last appearance had weighed heavily on Argentina throughout the World Cup.
“We didn’t want the last match to come. I think he had made a decision. I hope not, I hope he can keep playing,” Paredes said.
The midfielder further explained that Messi appeared to have decided beforehand that the World Cup final would be his last game for Argentina. “I think he had made a decision, that it was also his last match with the national team,” Paredes said.
However, Paredes immediately left the door open for Messi to reconsider and stressed that the decision ultimately belonged entirely to the Argentina captain. “Whatever makes him happy will surely make us happy too,” Paredes said, while expressing his hope that Messi would continue.
Messi’s future had been an emotional undercurrent throughout Argentina’s World Cup campaign. After their dramatic 3-2 comeback victory against Egypt in the round of 16, Paredes revealed that the players had embraced their captain because they desperately wanted to postpone his farewell. At the time, Paredes said the squad wanted Messi’s final game to “never arrive”, with Argentina eventually overcoming Switzerland and England to reach another World Cup final.
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Spain, however, ended Argentina’s title defence with a 1-0 victory, leaving Messi in tears and reopening the question that had followed him into the tournament: whether the 2026 World Cup would be his final chapter with the national team.
Messi, who turned 39 during the tournament, had deliberately avoided making a definitive retirement announcement beforehand. His silence since the final means Paredes’ comments should not be treated as an official confirmation of retirement.
Paredes also unsure about his Argentina future
Paredes himself admitted that he, too, is considering whether to continue representing Argentina after the defeat. “I don’t know, it’s a process. You have to digest it, think about it and not make rushed decisions,” Paredes said.
The Boca midfielder suggested several members of Argentina’s long-serving core could now face similar decisions after an enormously successful cycle under Lionel Scaloni, saying the players needed to weigh several factors and speak with the coach before deciding what comes next.
For Messi, there is still no official farewell. But Paredes’ revelation provides the strongest indication yet from inside the Argentina dressing room that the captain went into the World Cup final believing it could be his last appearance in the Albiceleste shirt.
