Lionel Messi’s decision to end his Argentina career has prompted an emotional response from his mother, Celia Maria Cuccittini, who admitted that she is still struggling to accept the prospect of seeing her son without the national team shirt.
Messi’s announcement has generated widespread discussion across the football world, bringing an emotional chapter of his international career towards its reported conclusion. Although members of his family had been aware that he was considering the decision, Celia said the formal announcement still came as a major emotional blow.
The 39-year-old Messi reportedly decided to step away from international football after Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. His decision marks a significant moment for a player who has spent more than two decades representing his country and has become one of the defining figures in Argentina’s football history.
Speaking to America TV, Celia said she continues to find it difficult to imagine her son no longer playing for Argentina.
“Whenever I look at them playing, my eyes still fill with tears,” she said. “Although we knew about it beforehand, the whole family was deeply affected. But the most important thing is that he is well and happy.”
For Celia, Messi’s departure also carries a deeply personal dimension because of the recent death of her husband, Jorge Messi, the footballer’s father. She recalled how Jorge would often speak about the day his son would eventually stop playing.
According to Celia, Jorge used to say, “When he no longer plays, what will I do?”
Those words have taken on a particular poignancy following Jorge’s death and Messi’s decision to close the international chapter of his career. For the family, the end of his Argentina journey therefore represents more than a sporting transition.
Messi himself has indicated that making room for younger players is an important consideration behind his decision. After years of carrying enormous expectations while representing Argentina, he has also stressed that he gave everything he could for his country.
His international journey began on 17 August 2005, when he made his Argentina debut against Hungary. Since then, he has established himself as the country’s most prolific goalscorer and most-capped player.
Across 207 appearances for Argentina, Messi has scored 125 goals and provided 68 assists, underlining the extraordinary consistency he has maintained at international level throughout his career.
His record with the national side also includes some of Argentina’s most significant achievements in recent football history. Messi helped the country win the Copa América in 2021, ending a long wait for a major senior international trophy. A year later, he led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar, fulfilling one of the most important ambitions of his career. Argentina then retained their continental crown by winning the 2024 Copa América.
Those triumphs transformed the narrative surrounding Messi’s international career. After years of scrutiny and disappointment with Argentina, he eventually became a central figure in a period of sustained success for the national side.
Now, with his international career approaching its reported end, the focus has shifted from what Messi might achieve next for Argentina to the legacy he leaves behind. For supporters, teammates and, most poignantly, his family, his departure brings an era that began in 2005 closer to its final page.
For Celia, however, the statistics and trophies are secondary to something much more personal. She is a mother watching her son move away from a stage that has defined much of his adult life. Even knowing that the day would eventually come has not made it any easier to accept.
