Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to his remarkable 20-year career with the Argentina national team.

The 39-year-old made the announcement today, August 31, saying he has reached a point where he has nothing more to give to the national team.

Messi said the decision was painful, but he believes it is the right time to step away and allow younger players to take his place.

He said:

“After this time that has passed since the final, thinking about it a lot, I want to inform everyone that I am retiring from the National Team…”

Messi admitted that leaving Argentina still hurts him, but said he has always given everything for the national team jersey.

“It was a decision that hurt and still hurts in my soul, but I understand that this is the moment. I swear I always gave everything, not just the last few years when everything was won, and I always fought and gave everything for this jersey, for giving them joy and making them proud to be Argentinians through football.”

The Argentina captain also said he believes a new generation of talented players deserves an opportunity.

“There is little left and chapters are closing, and this one hurts me a lot. I loved, loved, and will always love being in the National Team. I emptied myself, I no longer have anything more to give, and besides, there are very great young players coming up who deserve to be here.”

Messi thanked Argentina supporters for their love throughout his 20 years with the national team and said he will now support the team from outside.

“Thank you for all the love over these 20 years. I will miss hearing from you from the inside a lot. Now I will be one of you, always cheering and supporting from the outside.”

He also thanked his family, coaches, teammates and team officials for supporting him throughout his career.

Messi leaves the national team with a remarkable collection of memories and major trophies, including the 2021 Copa América, 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2024 Copa América.

Reflecting on his journey, he said:

“I am leaving with the peace and pride of having given them, together with my teammates, dream moments. It was crazy to have lived it with you. I love you!”

He ended his emotional message with a tribute to his country:

“Thank you God for making me Argentine.”

“Go Argentina!”

Canelo Alvarez could be ordered to enter an immediate title defence if he emerges victorious against Christian Mbilli on October 31.

The Mexican has not fought since September 2025, when he was relieved of his undisputed super-middleweight crown after losing a unanimous decision to Terence Crawford.

On that same card, Mbilli retained his WBC ‘interim’ strap following a 10-round draw against Lester Martinez, maintaining his position as one of the top contenders at 168lbs.

The Frenchman was then upgraded to full world champion in December, with Crawford having relinquished his four major titles and announced his retirement as a three-division undisputed king.

Canelo will therefore have the opportunity to reclaim one of his old belts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Mbilli making a first defence of his WBC title.

The winner of their showdown may then be ordered to face Martinez, as the unbeaten mandatory challenger comes off two successful defences of his WBC ‘interim’ strap.

Most recently, the 30-year-old scored a 10th-round stoppage of Luka Plantic last weekend, which followed his unanimous decision victory over Immanuwel Aleem in March.

Speaking at the post-fight presser following his win against Plantic, Martinez said through a translator that he expects to eventually face both Canelo and Mbilli.

“No, look, at the end of the day, I’ve said it before: the second fight [with Mbilli] will happen, possibly next year or the year after. But either one of those fights makes sense for us.

“We know the eyes of the world are going to be on [Mbilli-Canelo], and because we’re going to be there, we’re going to take advantage of all of that. But both fights are going to happen.”

Having already created the “blueprint” to defeat Canelo, Crawford trainer Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre said afterwards that he is supremely confident in guiding Martinez to victory against either Alvarez or Mbilli.

It has been a turbulent start to Jordan Addison’s career. The talent has always been visible but he has often gotten in his own way with off-field antics. For the first time, he comes into a season without off-field drama, and now it’s time for Addison to really step up.

It’s Time for Jordan Addison to Step Up

The Minnesota Vikings organization has stood by Addison through a series of problems and backed him by exercising his fifth-year option back in April. That means the Vikings have the guy that they drafted with the 23rd overall pick in the 2023 draft to partner with Justin Jefferson locked in until the end of the 2027 season. All that remains is for Addison to earn his big second contract and extend his stay in Minnesota even further.

— READ MORE: Vikings Cuts Start Piling Up as Deadline Nears —
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He has the talent, but Addison needs to do a few things before the Vikings can confidently commit to him long-term.

Firstly, he needs to continue to stay out of trouble. A drama-free offseason for Addison has been refreshing and now needs to become the norm. He also needs to step up and have the type of season that will secure him the type of big money that he will likely be looking for. The wide receiver market has gone crazy since the Vikings gave Jefferson a $35 million-a-year contract. The Baltimore Ravens recently gave Zay Flowers (who was drafted one place above Addison in 2023) a contract that matched Jefferson’s.

Addison’s Career So Far

Addison had a slightly better rookie season than Flowers but the latter has kicked on with two 1,000+ receiving-yard seasons. Hindered by a three-game suspension to start the season and Minnesota’s problems at quarterback, Addison’s stats fell off sharply last year.

Here are the stat lines for his three seasons in Minnesota to date.

The story is a decline in every category in each subsequent season. That can not continue to happen this season. A return of Addison in the end zone is something Minnesota needs to see. He was a prolific touchdown scorer in his first two seasons but amongst the offensive problems the Vikings had a pair of talented receivers like Jefferson and Addison combining for just five receiving touchdowns was an indictment of just how bad it was.

Kyler Murray Can Be A Big Help to Addison

Minnesota has a new QB1 for the 2026 season, and that should be good news for Addison. Murray is a talented former first overall pick and two-time Pro Bowler. He has his drawbacks, which is why he’s in Minnesota this season trying to reignite his career. His small stature (5’10″) can lead to problems with short-range passes over the middle of the field, but that’s not where Addison does most of his work.

Addison is often used downfield and this is where Murray is good and accurate. His 67.1% completion rate is the fifth highest all-time, and he’s not doing that dumping the ball off over the middle all the time. Give Murray time to throw deep and he will be accurate, but be also has the athleticism to extend plays to make deep routes happen. 

Murray to Addison could be come a vital connection for this offense and it’s something I’m excited to see develop.

Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.

Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to his celebrated career with the Argentina national team.Messi confirmed his decision in an emotional statement, saying he had spent considerable time thinking about his future since Argentina’s latest final. The Argentina captain said the decision was painful but that he believed the time had come to step away.“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 inside, but I understand that this is the right moment.“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.”

‘I don’t have anything more to give’

Messi said he understood that his time with Argentina was coming to an end and acknowledged the emergence of a new generation of players.“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.”The 39-year-old also thanked Argentina supporters for their backing throughout his two decades with the national side, saying he would now support the team from outside.“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.”Messi also paid tribute to his family, coaches, teammates and directors who accompanied him throughout his international career.“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’

Messi said he was leaving international football with a sense of fulfilment after achieving moments he and his teammates had once dreamed of.“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!”Messi revealed that he had originally written the statement on July 21, two days after the final, but said events involving his father had reinforced his decision.“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.”

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MLB best bets at FanDuel for Monday, Aug. 31

Brewers vs. Cubs: Chicago +1.5 (-182)

The Brewers are once again looking like they’ll have the best record in baseball but they’ll need to fend off a potential late push from the Cubs beginning Monday. This is a four-game series which could change the complexion of the NL Central standings substantially, but the Cubs are in a bit of a funk after starting August on a tear. Chicago is just 3-7 in its last 10 games while Milwaukee is 7-3 over the same span. The Brewers are giving the ball to Kyle Harrison (10-3, 2.79 ERA) on Monday and the Cubs counter with Clay Holmes (5-6, 2.26 ERA). The SportsLine model has the Cubs covering the run line in 64% of simulations.

Phillies vs. Diamondbacks: Arizona +1.5 (-170)

The Diamondbacks currently have the last wild card spot in the NL but they are just a half-game ahead of the Padres. The Phillies have a 4.5-game cushion on Arizona but this team has designs on potentially catching Atlanta for the NL East division. It’ll be Aaron Nola (5-10, 5.03 ERA) taking the hill for the Phillies while the Diamondbacks go with Brandon Pfaadt (7-1, 3.51 ERA). Arizona covers the run line in 68% of SportsLine simulations. Bet on Brewers-Cubs, Phillies-Diamondbacks and more with the FanDuel promo code and get $350 in bonus bets:

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Manchester City are pushing to complete a deal for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez before the transfer window shuts on Tuesday.

Manchester City’s transfer window has had a very different feel to it this year. In recent years, we have become accustomed to the Blues getting their business done early and avoiding late drama where possible. This year, that has gone out of the window.

In fairness to City, not all of it was their fault. Talks to hire Enzo Maresca rumbled on much longer than anybody expected they would. Plus, the World Cup meant many stars delayed making decisions on their futures until after the tournament. However, the fact remains that City are now scrambling in the final hours to complete their business.

With Rodri, Nico Gonzalez, Tijjani Reijnders and Bernardo Silva all having left the Etihad Stadium, City were always going to need to sign more than just Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi. The player they have identified to be their third midfield addition is Enzo Fernandez. Chelsea’s midfielder has been on City’s radar for several weeks but the deal is going down to the wire.

Some City fans are questioning why the club are looking to bring Fernandez to the Etihad. However, you only have to listen to what Maresca has said in the past about the 25-year-old to appreciate why he wants to reunite with his former player.

“He behaved as a leader and he is doing top, fantastic,” Maresca said in February 2025. “For sure Enzo has taken a step forward in that sense. He is showing how good a leader he is, how good he is on the ball, how good he is off the ball and we are delighted with him.”

A few months later during Chelsea’s successful Club World Cup campaign, Maresca said: “I am very pleased with Enzo especially because, first of all, he is a nice and polite boy, and then with us since we started he has been working very well in every aspect on and off the pitch. This season he struggled a bit at the beginning to understand the way we want to play but (since) then he is doing fantastic also in terms of numbers, goals and assists.

“This is what I want from attacking players – I have said many times that I prefer to have attacking players with 10-12 goals each than just one striker with 40 goals. His contribution has been top and I am sure it will be even better next season.”

Not only is Fernandez a player who knows Maresca’s system and has flourished under his management previously, he is also an established leader. The World Cup winner was one of the senior heads in the dressing room at Stamford Bridge and was clearly vital to Maresca’s plans.

In Cardiff earlier this month, Maresca spoke of having three leaders in his team: Ruben Dias, Erling Haaland and Rodri. The following week, he lost Rodri to Barcelona, leaving him with just two.

Marc Guehi and Gianluigi Donnarumma have leadership experience, but you are never at a loss with another strong character in the dressing room. The thing is, adding that quality costs money and with time running out in the transfer window, City are not in a position to be dismissive of Chelsea’s asking price.

It has been a tough summer for Maresca. There has been a lot of turnover in the squad and the Italian has had to respond to that. If City can pull off a move for Fernandez before 11pm on Tuesday, they will at least end the window by signing a player Maresca trusts to improve this team.

That is why City are going all out for Fernandez. He ticks the Maresca box, the midfield box and the leadership box.

Rashid Latif labelled the Mohsin Naqvi’s PCB as the worst since its foundation more than 70 years ago.© AFP