Argentine football executive and AFA president since 2017
The Argentinian Football Association has designated 15 July as National Football Teams Day, commemorating the 2-1 World Cup semi-final win over England in Atlanta. FIFA is investigating a banner displayed after the match and related incidents. The move follows intense football diplomacy surrounding the Falkland Islands dispute.
Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi’s father and long‑time agent, has died in Rosario at 68 after a long illness. Clubs from Inter Miami to Barcelona and Argentina’s Newell’s Old Boys have held moments of silence and issued tributes. Lionel Messi has travelled home and missed Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup match while teammates and fans paid tribute.
Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from the Argentina national team in a handwritten Instagram statement published on 31 August 2026. The 39-year-old has said he has "nothing left to give" after leading Argentina to the 2022 World Cup and to the 2026 final. Tributes and plans for a farewell match are under way; Argentina will meet friendly opponents in September.
Messi has announced his retirement from international duty and will be honoured in a farewell match on 6 October in Buenos Aires. Argentina will host Benin, Burkina Faso and Bolivia in a FIFA window with reductions in capacity due to sanctions. Several players face suspensions from the World Cup final. The event marks Argentina’s return home after the tournament and signals changes ahead for the national team.