Messi Bows Out of Argentina Career in Emotional 3-0 Victory

By Staff Reporter

BUENOS AIRES — Lionel Messi ended his remarkable international career in fitting fashion on Tuesday, scoring a goal and creating two more as Argentina defeated Benin 3-0 in a farewell friendly at the Monumental Stadium.

More than 85,000 supporters packed the Buenos Aires stadium to honour Argentina’s most decorated footballer, turning the match into an emotional celebration of a career that has spanned more than two decades.

The 39-year-old captain was visibly emotional before and after the match, wiping away tears as thousands of fans lined the route of the team bus and filled the stadium with chants of his name.

“It’s hard to talk,” Messi said after the match. “There are a lot of emotions, a lot of things going through my head.”

He also paid tribute to his late father.

“The first thing I think about is my old man,” Messi said.

Messi said representing Argentina had been the greatest honour of his career.

“It was a huge source of pride for me to wear this shirt all this time, more than 20 years,” he said. “Not coming any more is going to hurt a lot. I swear, I’d love to keep coming my whole life, because playing for Argentina is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you.”

After a goalless first half, Messi played a decisive role in all three goals.

He delivered the assist for Nicolas Otamendi to open the scoring, with the veteran defender tapping the ball home after spending 17 years alongside Messi in the national team.

Messi then created the second goal for Nico Paz, one of the young players viewed as a possible successor to Argentina’s famous number 10 shirt.

The night was completed by Messi himself when he converted a penalty to make it 3-0. The goal was his 126th for Argentina and sparked another huge celebration inside the Monumental.

Otamendi was also bringing his international career to a close after four World Cup appearances alongside Messi.

Before kick-off, Benin captain handed Messi a gift and a letter during the traditional pre-match handshake, adding another emotional moment to the farewell.

After the final whistle, Argentina and Benin players, along with the referee, gathered around Messi to embrace him.

A drone show then illuminated the Buenos Aires sky before Argentine singer Soledad Pastorutti, known as “La Sole”, performed her song “Brindis” as part of the tribute.

The celebrations extended beyond Buenos Aires. In Messi’s hometown of Rosario, a giant number 10 shirt carrying the word “Gracias” was displayed at the National Flag Memorial.

Messi leaves international football as Argentina’s most-capped player with 208 appearances and its record goalscorer.

His career with the national team included the 2021 Copa America triumph and the 2022 World Cup victory in Qatar, ending years of disappointment and criticism at international level.

After more than 20 years of carrying Argentina’s expectations, Messi’s final night was no longer about demands for another performance.

It was about saying thank you.