Sporting News' all-time international soccer XI: Do Messi and Ronaldo make the cut?

Lionel Messi bids farewell to international soccer on Tuesday when Argentina host Benin in Buenos Aires. There will be few dry eyes in the house at El Monumental when the great man dons the Albiceleste jersey for the 208th and final time.

Now aged 39, Messi announced at the end of August that he would bow out of the international game, while continuing to play at Inter Miami for now. An Argentina career packed with highs and lows reached a glorious crescendo in 2022, when Messi inspired his country to World Cup glory in Qatar.

He produced more majestic form at the 2026 tournament, with eight goals and four assists before Lionel Scaloni's men fell 1-0 to Spain in an ill-tempered final. Such performances put Messi alongside Diego Maradona in the all-time Argentine pantheon and crowned one of the finest international careers of them all.

To mark Messi bowing out, we've put together our greatest international XI of all time, with one stipulation: only one player per nation. See what you think; please feel free to disagree furiously.