Lionel Messi career achievements span Argentina, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami. He retires from international football with a World Cup, two Copa America titles, 125 Argentina goals, eight Ballon d'Or awards and records that reshaped the modern game.
Lionel Messi's retirement from international football closes one of the most accomplished national-team careers in soccer history, although his wider playing career continues with Inter Miami.
Messi’s remarkable record is receiving renewed attention after Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football with Argentina.
Across Argentina, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Major League Soccer, Messi has accumulated major trophies, scoring records and individual honors during a senior career spanning more than two decades.
Argentina glory after years of heartbreak
Messi's greatest international achievement came at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where he captained Argentina to its first world championship in 36 years and won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.
The victory followed Argentina's 2021 Copa America triumph. Messi later added the 2022 Finalissima and another Copa America championship in 2024. Earlier in his career, he won Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008 and helped Argentina capture the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship.
He ends his senior Argentina career with 125 goals in 207 appearances, national records in both categories.
Barcelona records define Messi's club legacy
Barcelona was the defining club of Messi's career. He recorded 778 appearances and 672 goals for the Catalan club before leaving in 2021, finishing as Barcelona's record scorer.
His Barcelona honors included 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies and four UEFA Champions League titles. He was also part of the historic Barcelona side that collected six trophies in 2009.
Messi scored an extraordinary 91 goals during the 2012 calendar year and holds La Liga's single-season scoring record with 50 goals in 2011-12.
Eight Ballon d'Or awards and historic individual records
Messi has won a record eight Ballon d'Or awards, alongside numerous scoring and player-of-the-year honors.
He also became the first player to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball twice, receiving the tournament's best-player award in 2014 and 2022.
His longevity extended into the 2026 World Cup, where he scored eight goals and supplied four assists as Argentina reached the final.
PSG and Inter Miami added new chapters
After leaving Barcelona, Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and won two Ligue 1 championships before moving to the United States.
He joined Inter Miami in 2023 and immediately helped the club win the Leagues Cup, its first trophy. Miami followed with the 2024 Supporters' Shield, while Messi then helped the club win its first MLS championship in 2025.
His international chapter is complete, but his club career continues in Miami. The remaining years of Messi's career will add to a résumé already defined by World Cup glory, continental championships, European success and individual records across multiple eras of the sport.
