Lionel Messi brought an end to more than two decades with the Argentine national team this Tuesday with a nearly perfect farewell: a 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 kissing the Argentine jersey along with the message "Thank you, Argentina," while a day earlier, he posted several pictures from his last practice with the team and wrote, "Special moments that I know I will miss…".
It had also anticipated the weight of the farewell in a video released by Adidas Football before the match.
"The moment has come. I leave in peace. I have left everything behind. This jersey was my dream. My pride. And my life," expressed the footballer, who thanked everyone for their support and acknowledged that he would miss his time with the national team.
Messi stepped onto the pitch 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 development of the match. At the 10-minute mark, referee Fernando Véjar stopped the game to allow the entire stadium to applaud the historic number 10. The more than 85,000 spectators chanted his name, and several players from Benin approached to greet him amid 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 match for the national team, appeared in the box to make it 1-0.
At the 61st minute, the captain reappeared. Messi passed the ball near the area to Nico Paz, who unleashed a left-footed strike to extend the Argentine lead and score the second goal of the match.
But the farewell was still missing the image that everyone was anticipating.
After a foul in the area on Agustín Giay, Messi took the ball and stepped up to take the penalty. With a left-footed strike into the corner, he scored the 3-0 and his 126th goal for the Argentina national team, prompting his teammates to run over and hug him in a collective celebration.
The player from Rosario concluded his last international match by directly contributing to all three goals: two assists and the penalty goal that sealed the victory.
At the end of the match, the Argentine Football Association published several images of the captain surrounded by his teammates and summed up the farewell with a phrase: «Don't ever leave. Thank you for so much, Leo».
Messi also spoke after the match and made some of his most emotional remarks.
"I feel many emotions. The first thing that comes to mind is my father. All I can do is express my gratitude; it has been a tremendous honor to wear this jersey for over 20 years," the captain stated, referring to his father, Jorge Messi, who passed away last August.
Additionally, he assured that he will continue to support the team despite leaving the national team for good.
"I will 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 this final friendly organized by the AFA as an official farewell to the Argentine audience. The match against Benin marked the end of a 21-year journey with the national team.
His tenure's main achievements include the Qatar 2022 World Cup, the Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024, and the Finalissima in 2022, when Argentina defeated Italy 3-0 at Wembley, as well as the Under-20 World Cup in 2005 and the Olympic gold at Beijing 2008.
The farewell concluded 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 footballer who wore the number 10 for the Argentine national team for over two decades.
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