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“Hurts Deep In My Soul”: Lionel Messi Retires From International Football

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The G.O.A.T has left the stage and it’s the end of an era. Months after Argentina’s FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign ended in a loss to Spain in the final, Messi decided that the time was right to bid adieu to the Beautiful Game. He posted a handwritten note on Instagram announcing the decision. Messi, who played in six World Cups, won the tournament in Qatar in 2022 and led Argentina to the final in 2026, where they lost to Spain. At 39 years old, after nearly two decades representing the national side, Messi goes down as absolute legend.

“After all this time since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to tell everyone that I’m retiring from the national team. It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep in my soul, but I understand that this is the right moment,” Messi wrote on Instagram.

“I swear I always gave everything, not only in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too. I always fought and gave everything for this shirt, to bring you happiness and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.

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“There isn’t much time left, and different chapters are coming to an end. This is one that hurts me a lot. I love, I loved, and I will always love being part of the national team. I gave everything I had, and I don’t have anything more to give. Also, there are great young players coming through who deserve to be here.”


While his international career has now come to an end, Messi will continue his club career with Inter Miami, where he remains under contract until 2028. His departure from the Argentina national team closes a remarkable chapter that began in 2005 and ultimately saw him achieve the World Cup triumph that had long defined his international ambition.

Message For Argentina Fans

In his retirement post, Messi mentioned that he had a special message for Argentina’s fans.

“Thank you for all the love during these 20 years. I’m going to miss hearing you from the inside. Now I’ll be one of you, always supporting from the outside, in the good times and even more in the bad ones.

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“Thank you to my family for always being there and for being with me throughout this beautiful but difficult journey. Thank you to every coach, teammate, and director I had the chance to share it with. I take with me unforgettable memories and moments.

“I leave with peace and pride, knowing that together with my teammates we gave you moments we once dreamed of. It was crazy to experience all of this with you. I love you!

“Thank you, God, for making me Argentine.

“Vamos Argentina!

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Retirement letter 

Messi explained that he wrote his retirement letter on June 21, two days after losing the World Cup final, but waited to publish it because his father was facing health issues that eventually claimed his life. Jorge Messi died on August 8 in his native Rosario, Argentina. Messi made his debut for the senior national team in 2005, but his journey was fraught with frustration until he finally lifted the World Cup in 2022.

“I wrote these words on July 21, two days after the final. Today, after what happened with my dad, I’m even more convinced of this decision than before,” he wrote.

The legendary footballer appeared in six FIFA World Cups from 2006 to 2026, scoring 21 goals in 34 matches. He is the second-highest goal-scorer in the tournament’s history, with France’s Mbappe holding the record with 22 goals.

In this year’s World Cup, Messi had eight goals to his name and four assists, making him one of the standout performers in the tournament. This also included his maiden FIFA WC hat-trick against Algeria. He had overtaken Germany legend Miroslav Klose’s record of most FIFA World Cup goals before Mbappe snatched the top spot from him.

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With agency inputs 


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Today’s Bandle Answer and Hints for September 1, 2026

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Bandle kicks off September 1, 2026 with puzzle number 1476, and it lands right in the middle of the difficulty scale, not quite a gimme but far from the toughest round players have faced lately. The same familiar setup carries over as always: six guesses, one hidden track, and a fresh instrument added to the mix every time a guess misses.

Anyone hoping to solve today’s (September 1, 2026) round the honest way should work through the hints below before scrolling to the reveal, since there’s enough here to make a genuine attempt at naming the song before the answer gets spelled out.


Today’s Bandle Answer Hints (September 1, 2026)

Hints for today's September 1, 2026 Bandle answer (Image via Bandle)Hints for today's September 1, 2026 Bandle answer (Image via Bandle)
Hints for today’s September 1, 2026 Bandle answer (Image via Bandle)

“Ski.” That’s the entire clue attached to today’s puzzle, a single word doing a lot of quiet work for a song that carries a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5. The instrument layers build up in this order across the round:

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  • Drums and Bass
  • Flute
  • Guitar
  • Backing Vocals
  • Voice Cover

A few extra details round out today’s hint package for anyone who wants more to work with:

  • Year: 2006
  • Genre: Alternative, Rock
  • YouTube Views: 404 million
  • Difficulty: 3 out of 5

That massive view count paired with a 2006 release date points toward a track that’s held onto serious staying power over the past two decades, and the flute showing up in the instrument layers is a fairly distinctive clue on its own for anyone familiar with alternative rock from that era.


Bandle Answer for September 1, 2026

Today's September 1, 2026 Bandle answer (Image via Bandle)Today's September 1, 2026 Bandle answer (Image via Bandle)
Today’s September 1, 2026 Bandle answer (Image via Bandle)

Today’s Bandle #1476 answer is shown in the above image.

The one-word clue ‘Ski’ lines up neatly with the title once the answer is revealed, since snow and skiing go hand in hand. The track comes from the band’s 2006 double album, Stadium Arcadium, and it topped the Billboard Modern Rock chart, holding the number one spot for five straight weeks.

Much of its staying power comes down to the fast, intricate guitar riff John Frusciante plays throughout the song, a detail that’s helped it become one of the more recognizable entries in the band’s catalog and lines up with that record-breaking chart run.


List of All Previous Bandle Answers

Looking for earlier Bandle answers? Here’s a quick list of the daily solutions from the past seven days to help catch up on recent puzzles.

August 31, 2026 answer

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August 30, 2026 answer

August 29, 2026 answer

August 28, 2026 answer

August 27, 2026 answer

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August 26, 2026 answer

August 25, 2026 answer


How to Play Bandle

Bandle is a daily music guessing game centered on identifying a popular song through up to six audio clues, starting with a single instrument and stacking on additional layers with each miss.

The clue and guess structure

Bandle builds the song gradually, giving players a little more to work with after each incorrect guess.

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  • Every round adds another musical layer, progressing through drums, bass, guitar, and eventually vocals.
  • Players have six attempts to identify both the song and the artist.
  • Additional clues reveal details such as the release year, genre, and YouTube view count.
  • The puzzle refreshes once every day according to the player’s local timezone.

Streaks and win rates

Missing a day doesn’t end a streak for good either, since puzzles from the past 7 days remain available for replay. Across the player base, the average win rate sits around 59% for those skipping the hints entirely, climbing up to 79% once players lean on the available clues.

If daily puzzle games are your thing, Connections and the NYT Mini Crossword are worth checking out too if you want to keep the streak going after today’s Bandle round.