Argentine League to Halt Games to Honor Lionel Messi

Argentina's football league is set to honor Lionel Messi this weekend by stopping every match in the 10th minute for a minute of applause. The tribute comes just days after Messi announced he was retiring from international football.

The 39-year-old star made the announcement on Monday. He wore the number 10 shirt for Argentina and led the team to World Cup glory in Qatar back in 2022. His last game for the national side came in July, when Argentina lost the 2026 World Cup final to Spain.

The Argentine Football Association explained the plan in a statement. Referees will pause play in every match at the 10th minute, matching his shirt number, so fans and players can applaud his career. The association invited supporters to take part in the tribute.

Messi holds the record for most caps for Argentina, with 207 appearances. This is not the first time he has stepped away from the national team. He also retired back in 2016, right after Argentina lost the Copa America final to Chile on penalties, a game where he missed his own spot kick. That loss was Argentina's fourth defeat in a major final over nine years. He later changed his mind and returned to the team.

Since then, Messi went on to win a World Cup and two Copa America titles with Argentina. He also became the country's all time top scorer, netting 125 goals in the process.

His international career began in 2005, when he came on as a substitute in the 63rd minute of a friendly win over Hungary. Messi moved to Barcelona's youth academy at just 13 years old and has never played senior club football in Argentina. In World Cup history, he ranks second in goals with 21, just behind France's Kylian Mbappe. In all internationals, he sits second on the all time scoring list too, trailing longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal.

Messi's decision to retire came not long after a difficult personal loss. In August, he said he was thinking about his future in the game following the death of his father, Jorge, who passed away at 68 after a long illness. When he confirmed his retirement, Messi said losing his dad left him even more certain that stepping back was the right call.

He isn't done playing club football, though. Messi will continue turning out for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, where his contract runs through the end of the 2028 season.