Messi bids farewell to the qualifiers: "The match against Venezuela will be my last with Argentina"

The Argentine star Lionel Messi announced that his upcoming match with his national team against Venezuela, in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, will be his last in the tango jersey in these qualifiers, thus nearing the end of his international career filled with achievements.

Messi will play the match on Thursday, September 4, at the "Monumental" stadium in Buenos Aires, where he confirmed in an interview with "APPLE" after leading Inter Miami to victory over Orlando City (3-1) in the semifinals of the American League Cup, saying:
"Yes, the match against Venezuela will be special, because it is my last match in the qualifiers. I don't know if there will be friendly matches or other occasions after that."

The Argentine legend added: "For this reason, my family, my wife, my children, and my parents will be with me, so we can all experience this event as it is. We do not know what will happen later, but we are going with a winning mentality."