Messi's mother reacts to her son's departure: "I am still crying"

Lionel Messi's mother, Celia Cuccittini, said that the family is going through difficult times following her son's decision to end his career with the Argentina national team. She spoke about this in a conversation with journalist Adrian Pallares.

39-year-old Messi officially announced on August 31 that he would leave the Argentina national team after a 21-year career. The footballer played his last major tournament for the national team at the 2026 World Cup. Argentina lost to Spain in the final and settled for the silver medal.

Although Messi's mother was aware of her son's decision in advance, she emphasized that this news is difficult for the whole family.

“I am still crying. Even though we knew about it beforehand, the whole family is very sad. But the most important thing is that he is happy,” said Celia Cuccittini.

She also said that the recent death of her husband, Jorge Messi, has made this period even harder for the family. Celia also recalled that her husband often expressed concern about Lionel's life after retiring from professional football.

In his farewell letter regarding his departure from the national team, Messi expressed gratitude to his family, coaches, teammates, and everyone who accompanied him during his 21-year career with the Argentina national team.

He emphasized that he is ending his national team career with a sense of pride and peace.

For information, Messi played 207 matches for the Argentina national team and scored 125 goals. He is the record holder for the national team in both categories.

Although Messi has ended his national team career, he will continue to play football at the club level. He has been playing for MLS side Inter Miami since 2023.