Messi retires from Argentina national team

Lionel Messi played his final international match for the Argentina national team on Tuesday, officially concluding his 21-year international career. Head coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed that defender Cristian Romero will inherit the permanent captain's armband.

Messi said he had no regrets about his decision to retire, citing Argentina's grueling World Cup campaign, which took place as his late father was seriously ill, as a factor. Under FIFA regulations for official tournaments, Argentina cannot permanently retire the No. 10 jersey because squads must use a fixed numbering system. However, the federation may choose to preserve it during non-official friendlies.