Lionel Messi marked this Tuesday the end of more than two decades with the Argentine national team and did so with an almost perfect farewell: one goal, two assists, and a 3-0 victory against Benin in a packed Monumental stadium to bid farewell to the captain of the Albiceleste.
The day was filled with emotion long before the match. On his social media, Messi had shared a photo of himself kissing the Argentine jersey along with the message "Thank you, Argentina," while the day before he posted several pictures from his last practice with the team and wrote: "Special moments that I know I will miss..."
He had also anticipated the weight of the farewell in a video published by Adidas Football before the match.
"The moment has come. I leave in peace. I left everything behind. This shirt was my dream. My pride. And my life," said the footballer, who thanked everyone for their affection and acknowledged that he would miss his time with the national team.
Messi stepped onto the field at the Monumental accompanied by his sons Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro, in one of the most emotional moments of the night. During the national anthem, he couldn't hold back his tears as the stands prepared to support him in his final minutes dressed in sky blue and white.
The tribute even extended to the progress of the match. When the 10th minute arrived, referee Fernando Véjar paused the game to allow the entire stadium to applaud the legendary number 10. More than 85,000 spectators chanted his name, and several players from Benin approached to greet him amidst fireworks.
After a goalless first half, Argentina opened the scoring in the 48th minute. Messi took a corner kick, and Nicolás Otamendi, also in his farewell from the national team, made his presence felt in the box to score the 1-0.
At the 61st minute, the captain reemerged. Messi passed the ball near the area to Nico Paz, who unleashed a left-footed shot to extend Argentina's lead and score the second goal of the match.
But the farewell was still missing the image that everyone was waiting for.
After a foul in the area on Agustín Giay, Messi grabbed the ball and took the penalty. With a left-footed shot into the corner, he scored the third goal and his 126th goal for the Argentina national team, prompting his teammates to rush over and hug him in a collective celebration.
The player from Rosario thus concluded his last international match by directly participating in all three goals: two assists and the penalty goal that secured the victory.
At the end of the match, the Argentine Football Association published several images of the captain surrounded by his teammates and summarized the farewell with a phrase: «Never leave us. Thank you for everything, Leo».
Messi also spoke after the match and shared some of his most emotional statements.
"I feel a lot of emotions. The first thing that comes to mind is my father. All I can do is be thankful; it has been a great honor to wear this jersey for over 20 years," said the captain, referring to his father, Jorge Messi, who passed away last August.
In addition, he assured that he will continue to support the team despite leaving the national squad for good.
"I'm going to miss representing the colors of the national team, but I will always support these guys and everyone who comes after them. Always united," he stated.
Messi had announced his international retirement after the 2026 World Cup, but he agreed to play in this final friendly organized by the AFA as an official farewell to the Argentine public. The match against Benin concluded a 21-year career with the senior national team.
His tenure's main achievements include the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024, and the Finalissima in 2022, when Argentina defeated Italy 3-0 at Wembley, along with the Under-20 World Cup in 2005 and the Olympic gold medal in Beijing 2008.
The farewell ended with Messi embraced by his teammates and receiving one last ovation from the Monumental. Argentina won the match, but the result inevitably took a backseat: the night was dedicated to the goodbye of the player who wore the number 10 of the Argentine national team for over two decades.
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