Lionel Messi seen in training drill as Argentina retirement report circulates
SportLocation Football Desk · 6 Sept 2026
Lionel Messi is the named subject in a small-sided training scene near goal, while a separate report says he has retired from Argentina international duty. The available video material supports only a brief training context, so the piece stays close to the sourced reporting and the on-pitch action.
Lionel Messi is the named subject in a training-ground scene built around a small-sided finishing drill near goal, with several players spread around the penalty area and multiple balls in play. One player is down on the turf while another waits centrally by the box line, giving the session a stop-start feel rather than open match action.
That practice context sits alongside a separate report from The Athletic, via The New York Times, which says Messi has retired from Argentina international duty and quotes him describing the decision as one that "hurts my soul". The sourced story gives the wider football context; the visible action here remains a routine training sequence rather than a competitive fixture.
The mood around the goalmouth is busy but controlled, with players spaced across the edge of the area and staff or spectators just inside the frame at pitch level. It is a brief reminder of how quickly Messi-related news can move between the training pitch and the international stage.