Argentine Football Association — oversees Argentina's national football team, which lost the 2026 World Cup final to Spain and saw Lionel Messi retire from international play.
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Citizen Digital
… The Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced overnight that "some squad members will depart directly from the United States to various destinations to rejoin their clubs or begin their rest period," without further details. …
Without Messi, Argentine team set for low-key homecomingLionel Messi ended his 21-year international career for Argentina on Tuesday in an emotional final appearance, playing his 208th match and scoring his 126th international goal in a 3-0 victory over Benin in Buenos Aires before 85,000 supporters.
7 October 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Lionel Messi ended his 21-year international career for Argentina on Tuesday in an emotional final appearance, playing his 208th match and scoring his 126th international goal in a 3-0 victory over Benin in Buenos Aires before 85,000 supporters.
7 October 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Lionel Messi ended his 21-year international career on Tuesday with a 3-0 victory for Argentina over Benin in Buenos Aires, scoring his 126th international goal in his 208th appearance. The 39-year-old, widely regarded as the greatest footballer in history, cited Argentina's grueling World Cup campaign and personal hardship as factors in his decision to retire, telling fans: "Not coming anymore is going to be deeply painful."
7 October 2026 · The Standard →
Lionel Messi, 39, leads Argentina in an international friendly against Benin at Estadio Más Monumental, marking the end of his 21-year international career. Over 80,000 supporters attended the match, dubbed "The Last Tango," following Argentina's loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final and his father's passing.
6 October 2026 · The Standard →
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said an upcoming friendly against Benin in Buenos Aires will allow Lionel Messi to retire from international football on his own terms. Messi, an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, announced his retirement at age 39 and was included in the squad by Scaloni for the farewell match.
25 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Lionel Messi was called up by Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni for a friendly against Benin on October 6, which will serve as his farewell appearance after announcing his international retirement in August. The 39-year-old's international career included winning the 2022 World Cup and Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.
16 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Lionel Messi, 39, has announced his retirement from international football after 21 years with Argentina. His decision came roughly six weeks after Argentina lost the 2026 FIFA World Cup final 1–0 to Spain, and three weeks after the death of his father and longtime manager.
1 September 2026 · The Standard →
Argentina football icon Lionel Messi attended a private ceremony on Sunday to bid farewell to his father Jorge, who passed away at age 68 following a battle with cancer. Messi arrived from Miami with his wife and children, and a private ceremony with some Argentine national squad teammates was scheduled to take place at a cemetery in Perez, near Rosario.
9 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
FIFA president Gianni Infantino received backing from South American football figures during a visit to Colombia, where he attended the inauguration of the Colombian president. The visit comes as Infantino faces a crisis at world football's governing body, including loss of confidence from UEFA following backlash against his plan to allow private investment in the World Cup.
8 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited Colombia on Friday and received backing from leading South American football figures including CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez and Colombian federation president Ramon Jesurun. The visit comes as Infantino faces criticism over a scrapped plan to open the World Cup to private investment.
8 August 2026 · The Standard →
Thousands of Argentine fans welcomed their national football team home after losing the World Cup final 1-0 to Spain, with coach Lionel Scaloni and players arriving without star Lionel Messi. Despite the tournament loss, fans celebrated the squad's efforts and effort to return to the championship final.
21 July 2026 · The Standard →
Argentina lost the 2026 World Cup final 1-0 to Spain. The team's return to Buenos Aires on Monday was expected to be subdued, with several key players including captain Lionel Messi reportedly not joining the flight, instead departing directly from the United States to rejoin clubs or begin rest periods.
20 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →