Caling time on your career can range from easy to diificult. On some occasions it's forced due to medical advice. The reception can be interesting. Most calls are shocking while others hardly register with the public.
Three retirement calls have been made recently: Leo Mess; Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Edin Džeko.
Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football aged 39.
21 years on from his first appearance; he has called time on his international career; leaving a record-breaking legacy of 125 goals from 207 games. No Argentine has played or scored more for their country.
He retires having won every possible competition in international football; after twice winning the Copa America in 2021 and 2024; lifting the World Cup in Qatar and captaining Argentina to victory in the inaugural Finalissima in 2022.
Messi had hinted at his impending retirement during an emotional post on social media following the death of his father, Jorge, earlier in August.
He has now confirmed his decision in a statement on Instagram, which he said he had originally written on 21 July - two days after the final - which he said "hurt deeply" but having been left with "nothing left to give" he added of his decision: "Today, after what happened with my dad, I am even more convinced than before."
Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in their second consecutive World Cup final on 19 July; with Ferran Torres' goal in extra time clinching La Roja's second title.
It was expected to be Messi's final appearance at the tournament; given he will turn 43 during the next tournament in 2030.
Messi's father Jorge passed away within weeks of the tournament ending in his hometown of Rosario following a long illness. He had previously acted as his son's agent.
He said of the final, which his father was unable to attend: "I wanted to win it so I could bring the trophy to you and show you a new one. I couldn't, my legs had nothing left. This time I tried to push past my physical limits, but I couldn't. I never managed to feel right."
"I am going to miss you a lot, but you will always be present, and especially in the education of my children, because I teach them and educate them as you did with me."
"Rest in peace and take care of us from above like you did here. Thanks for everything. I love you, dad."
"After the time that has passed since the final, and after giving it a lot of thought, I want to let everyone know that I am retiring from the national team...
"It was a decision that hurt-and still hurts deep down - but I understand that the time has come. I swear to you that I always gave it my all-not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too; I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football."
"Time is running short, chapters come to a close, and this is one that hurts me deeply. I love, have loved, and will always love being part of the national team. I've given everything I had; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are some great young players coming up who deserve to be here."
"Thank you for all the affection over these past 20 years. I will miss hearing you from the pitch so much. Now I'll be just one of you, cheering and supporting from the outside (through the good times and the bad - especially the bad)."
"Thank you to my family for always being there, for accompanying me on this journey-so beautiful, yet so difficult. Thank you to every coach, teammate, and official I've shared this path with. I take with me unforgettable memories and moments."
"I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you-alongside my teammates-moments we once only dreamed of. It was an incredible experience to live this with you all. I love you!
"Thank you, God, for making me Argentine. Let's go, Argentina!"
*"I wrote these words on July 21, two days after the final. Today, after what happened with my dad, I am even more convinced than before.""
Here are some of the main reactions to the announcement, which left fans and team-mates alike feeling bereft.
FORMER ARGENTINA TEAM-MATES
"It's so hard to read that we won't see you in the sky blue and white anymore. I only know that I was born in the right century to be able to see you, enjoy you, and on top of that, to share all these years with you on the national team."
- Angel Di Maria, fellow 2022 world champion
"Just thank you, the greatest of all time, thank you for making us so, so happy, you can't imagine how many smiles you brought!! You are eternal."
- Rodrigo De Paul, also a team-mate at Inter Miami
"I love you, I admire you, and I will always be grateful for everything you gave for me and for our country. Eternal thanks, captain."
- Cristian Romero
"Eternal thanks, Leo. We will love you until the end of our days."
- Argentine national team
OTHER REACTIONS
"Thank you so much, incredible man."
- Argentine President, Javier Milei
"Congratulations @leomessi on an extraordinary international career which has inspired millions and redefined the beautiful game."
- FIFA president Gianni Infantino
"What a privilege to have been by your side on this journey and to see you fulfill all your dreams. You deserved this story and so much more. We love you infinitely."
- Antonela Roccuzzo, Messi's wife
Gabon captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has announced that he is stepping back from the national team, saying he felt "humiliated" by his exclusion and subsequent reinstatement after the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
The top scorer in the history of the Panthers was singled out by the Gabonese government as responsible for the AFCON failure.
"They humiliated and smeared me even though I played at the AFCON while injured," the 37-year-old said in a television interview. "This is the last straw, and I’d rather stop here."
Gabon were eliminated from the AFCON in the group stage after three defeats, the last of which came against Ivory Coast.
"It’s a part of our national identity that has been weakened," Gabonese President, Brice Oligui Nguema, said at the time. The government fired the coaching staff, suspended the team until further notice and sidelined Aubameyang and 38-year-old Bruno Ecuele Manga.
Also Read: You Are All A Disgrace!
The suspension of these veteran mainstays of the squad sparked a wave of outrage among Gabonese supporters.
"I think the team’s problems run much deeper than the little person that I am," said Aubameyang, who was one of Europe’s top strikers during his time at Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal.
The tension between the player and the state escalated rapidly after Gabon suffered a dismal group-stage exit in Morocco. The Panthers failed to secure a single point, enduring three consecutive defeats, including a final 3-2 loss to Ivory Coast. In the wake of this sporting disaster, the Gabonese government took the extraordinary step of intervening directly in footballing matters.
This political pressure led to drastic measures that targeted both the coaching staff and the senior playing squad. Speaking at the time, Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema expressed deep concern; noting that a key element of their national identity was being eroded.
As a result, the government decided to dissolve the entire technical staff and suspended the national team until further notice. Crucially, they singled out Aubameyang and fellow veteran Bruno Ecuele Manga, aged 38, by removing them from the squad entirely.
The Gabonese striker has set himself what is likely to be a final challenge in Europe, leaving Marseille to join Deportivo La Coruna, who have just returned to La Liga after a long spell in the wilderness.
Gabon’s new national team coach, Sebastien Migne, will now have to plan without Aubameyang as he prepares his team for their first qualifiers later this month for next year’s AFCON.
Now Bosnia's Edin Džeko has joined them. The striker confirmed on Thursday that the UEFA Nations League clash with Sweden on 2 October will be his last for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
At 40, the striker closes the book on nearly two decades with his country, a journey that began back in 2007. Captain and one of the defining figures in Bosnian football history, Džeko leaves as the all-time top scorer with 73 goals in 151 caps.
He led the line at this summer's World Cup, driving the team on until the United States knocked them out in the Round of 32. Six goals in qualifying proved decisive, firing Bosnia and Herzegovina to only their second World Cup appearance.
His farewell comes at home against Sweden, with his team-mates then travelling to face Poland three days later.
In a lengthy message on social media, Džeko admitted he had always pictured this moment without grasping how hard it would be to live through.
He wrote: "Sometimes I found myself wondering when this moment would come... but I never imagined the depth of emotion I would feel as I write these words".
"On the second of October, against Sweden, I will play my next and last match with our national team," he continued. "Nothing in my sporting career compares to the feeling of pride and honour I felt every time I wore this shirt. Nothing at all."
Džeko went on: "It was my childhood dream, a dream I carried with me on every one of the 151 occasions I had the honour of representing my country on the field of play. I was always proud to carry out this duty, just as it was the first time."
"Twenty years have passed since that match against Turkey," he added. "Many things have changed, and I have changed too, but my love for this shirt has never changed. Now I feel the time has come to step aside. If I have continued until the age of forty with the national team, it is because I truly gave everything I have. Every single time, I gave everything. Playing for my country was the most precious emotional opportunity football gave me."
The Bosnian star added: "Qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in our history in 2014 remains one of the happiest moments of my life as a footballer. The emotions that ran through me on the night of the goal against Wales, then against Italy in March, will remain alive in my heart forever. Seeing my people celebrating in the streets of our cities was another amazing gift the game gave me."
"There will be a time to thank everyone who stood by me and supported me throughout this wonderful journey," he continued. "For now, I only hope that you will be present on that night against Sweden, so that we can share one final emotional moment together... because every one of these moments is unforgettable, and was something we lived and wrote together."
Džeko concluded: "And this is how I want to live my last night representing my country: with all of you by my side, and me wearing the shirt I have loved since I was a child, and the shirt I will keep loving for the rest of my life."
Retiring can be devasting. It can be difficult for the team and the fans to accept. They have to move on from them. This is especially the case if they were influential. The player that replaces them might be the next gem for years to come.