Lionel Messi is 39, plays for Inter Miami and is signed until the end of the 2028 MLS season. He has won 48 trophies, more than any player in history, and eight Ballons d'Or. He scored 672 goals for Barcelona, 126 in 208 games for Argentina, and passed 100 for Inter Miami in September 2026. He retired from international football after the 2026 World Cup final, said goodbye to Argentina in a farewell match on 6 October 2026, and goes on at club level.
Where Messi is now (November 2026)
Inter Miami are his club, and the team keeps winning with him. They lifted a trophy in four seasons running: the Leagues Cup in 2023, the Supporters' Shield in 2024, MLS Cup in 2025 and the Campeones Cup in 2026. In that last final, a 2-0 win over Cruz Azul on 16 September, Messi headed the opener for his 100th Inter Miami goal. It was his 48th trophy.
This MLS season he has 26 goals and 13 assists in 30 games. In 2025 he won the Golden Boot with 29 goals and became the first player to be named MLS MVP two years running, then led Miami to their first MLS Cup with two assists in the 3-1 final against Vancouver.
He finished fifth in the 2026 Ballon d'Or, voted in October, the highest-placed player from a club outside Europe.
Argentina have moved on without him. Lionel Scaloni's 28-man squad for the November friendlies against Uruguay (13 November, Buenos Aires) and Costa Rica (17 November, Córdoba) is the first since his retirement, and the No. 10 shirt is not being handed to anyone for that window.
Messi career timeline, 1987 to 2026
From Rosario to Miami, the moments that built the record:
- Jun 1987Born in RosarioGrew up at Newell's Old Boys and moved to Barcelona at 13, in 2000, where the club paid for his growth hormone treatment.
- Oct 2004Barcelona debutFirst game at 17 against Espanyol. His first goal came on 1 May 2005 against Albacete, set up by Ronaldinho.
- Jul–Aug 2005World youth champion, then a red cardWon the Under-20 World Cup with the Golden Ball and Golden Boot. Weeks later he was sent off on his senior Argentina debut against Hungary, about two minutes after coming on.
- Aug 2008Olympic goldWon the football tournament at the Beijing Olympics with Argentina.
- 2009Treble and first Ballon d'OrBarcelona won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League, and six trophies in the calendar year. He won the first of his eight Ballons d'Or.
- 201291 goals in a yearThe record for goals in a calendar year, after 50 La Liga goals in 2011–12.
- 2015Second treble, with MSNMessi, Luis Suárez and Neymar led Barcelona to another La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League treble.
- Jul 2021Copa América, then PSGHis first senior title with Argentina, 1-0 against Brazil at the Maracanã. A month later he left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain.
- Dec 2022World championTwo goals in the final against France in Qatar, a win on penalties, and a second World Cup Golden Ball, the only player with two.
- Jul–Oct 2023Inter Miami and an eighth Ballon d'OrJoined Miami and won the Leagues Cup within weeks. In October he took his eighth Ballon d'Or.
- Jul 2024Second Copa AméricaArgentina beat Colombia 1-0 after extra time in the final.
- Dec 2025MLS Cup and back-to-back MVPTwo assists in the 3-1 final against Vancouver, the 2025 Golden Boot and a second straight MVP award.
- Jul 2026A sixth World CupEight goals and four assists, a third World Cup final, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain, and the Silver Ball.
- Sep 2026Trophy number 48Scored his 100th Inter Miami goal as they won the Campeones Cup.
- 6 Oct 2026Argentina farewellArgentina beat Benin 3-0 at the Monumental in Buenos Aires. Messi scored a penalty, his 126th goal, in his 208th game.
Club by club: goals and trophies
All competitions, official matches. Inter Miami is still running: he scored his 100th goal for the club on 16 September 2026.
| Team | Trophies | Biggest |
|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | 35 | 4 Champions Leagues, 10 La Liga titles |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 3 | 2 Ligue 1 titles |
| Inter Miami | 4 | MLS Cup 2025 |
| Argentina (senior) | 4 | World Cup 2022, Copa América 2021 and 2024, Finalissima 2022 |
| Argentina (youth) | 2 | Under-20 World Cup 2005, Olympic gold 2008 |
| Total | 48 | The most of any footballer |
474 La Liga goals and 120 in the Champions League. The club's all-time top scorer and most-capped player.
Won the World Cup halfway through his time in Paris.
MLS MVP in 2024 and 2025, 2025 Golden Boot (29 goals). 26 goals and 13 assists in 30 MLS games in 2026.
Argentina career in numbers: every major tournament
He played 14 major tournaments for Argentina, including the 2022 Finalissima. They account for 35 of his 126 goals: 21 at World Cups and 14 at the Copa América.
| Moment | Match | Date |
|---|---|---|
| First cap | Hungary 1-2 Argentina, friendly (sent off after about two minutes) | 17 Aug 2005 |
| First major title | Argentina 1-0 Brazil, Copa América final, Rio de Janeiro | 10 Jul 2021 |
| World Cup win | Argentina 3-3 France (4-2 pens), Lusail. Two goals in the final | 18 Dec 2022 |
| Last World Cup game | Spain 1-0 Argentina after extra time, final, New Jersey | 19 Jul 2026 |
| Last cap and goal (126) | Argentina 3-0 Benin, Buenos Aires (71st-minute penalty) | 6 Oct 2026 |
The records Messi holds
- Most trophies won by any footballer: 48.
- Most Ballons d'Or: eight (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023).
- Most European Golden Shoes: six.
- Most goals for one club: 672 for Barcelona, including a La Liga record 474.
- Most goals in a calendar year: 91 in 2012.
- Most World Cup games: 34, across six tournaments from 2006 to 2026.
- The only player with two World Cup Golden Balls (2014 and 2022), and the only one to start three World Cup finals.
- Most assists in football history, more than 400 by any counting method.
- First player to win MLS MVP in back-to-back seasons (2024 and 2025).
Messi vs Ronaldo: the numbers that matter
Ronaldo retired from Portugal duty on 5 November 2026, a month after Messi's Argentina farewell, so both international careers are now complete. Here they are side by side.
Messi trivia: 10 facts you might not know
- He was sent off on his Argentina debut, about two minutes after coming on against Hungary in 2005.
- His first Barcelona goal, against Albacete in 2005, was a chip from a Ronaldinho pass.
- He scored 50 La Liga goals in 2011–12 and 91 goals in the 2012 calendar year, both records.
- He is the only player to win the World Cup Golden Ball twice.
- He played six World Cups, from Germany 2006 to North America 2026, and 34 World Cup games in all.
- He lost four major finals with Argentina (2007, 2014, 2015, 2016) before winning four (2021, 2022, 2022, 2024).
- In 2026 he reached his third World Cup final, the only player to start three.
- His 100th goal for Inter Miami won a trophy: the opener in the 2026 Campeones Cup final.
- Inter Miami have won a trophy in every season since he arrived: 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
- At 39 he finished fifth in the 2026 Ballon d'Or vote.
Messi quiz: how well do you know Leo?
Eight questions on his clubs, Argentina and records. Tap an answer, then share your score.
The Lionel Messi career quiz
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