Lionel Messi brought the curtain down on his Argentina career on Tuesday when the 39-year-old football player captained Argentina against Benin in a friendly at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. FIFA had previously confirmed that the match would be Messi's final appearance for Argentina following his decision to end his international career.
The Argentinian Football Association (AFA) described the occasion as a farewell that would go beyond sport and celebrate Messi's extraordinary relationship with the national team.
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Messi entered the match with 207 appearances and 125 goals for Argentina, while his final goal against Benin took his international tally to 126 goals.
Argentina's opening goal came shortly after half-time when Nicolás Otamendi converted a corner delivered with Messi near the corner flag. Messi then provided another assist for Nico Paz as Argentina extended its advantage. The forward finished his final international appearance with one goal and two assists.
The Argentina captain completed his farewell by converting a penalty to make it 3-0. ESPN described the match as a fairy-tale farewell for Messi as he scored his 126th international goal for Argentina making him the country's all-time leading scorer.
The emotional scenes began before kick-off. Messi was seen wiping away tears as the Argentina team bus made its way through crowds of supporters toward the sold-out Monumental. Messi became emotional again during the Argentine national anthem, with the stadium packed for his farewell with approximately 85,000 supporters present.
Before the match, a giant Argentina shirt bearing the word "Gracias" above Messi's iconic No. 10 was placed on the pitch. The tribute was part of the celebrations organised for the Argentine captain's farewell. The AFA branded the occasion "El último tango" ("The Last Tango"), reflecting the idea that Messi's final dance with Argentina would take place in his homeland.
According to match reports, play was stopped around the 10th minute, allowing the Monumental crowd to give Messi a prolonged ovation. This was particularly symbolic as Messi's No. 10 shirt has become inseparable from Argentina's modern football history.
Tributes Pouring In
Thousands of supporters gathered to thank Messi for his contribution to Argentina, with some fans in tears as they bid farewll to the player who eventually delivered the nation's long awaited World Cup triumph.
Tributes came from former teammates, current teammates and other football stars as well. Brazilian superstar Neymar, who played with Messi at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain said that the world should be grateful for everything Messi had given to football.
Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul described Messi as someone who had helped him grow not only as a footballer but also as a person, Reuters reported. Former Argentina teammate Angel Di Maria also paid tribute to Messi, saying that seeing him happy and at peace after giving everything for the national team was what made everyone happy. Messi himself had earlier summed up his feelings ahead of the farewell by saying, "I leave in peace. I gave everything."
A Historic Argentina Career
Messi's Argentina career included the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima, the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2024 Copa América. His World Cup triumph in Qatar marked the biggest achievement of his international career and transformed his relationship with Argentine supporters after years of criticism and disappointment.
For a player whose Argentina career included painful defeats, criticism, international retirement and eventual redemption, the final match provided an almost perfect sporting ending.
With his final game ending in a 3-0 victory, a goal and two assists, Messi's Argentina journey closed with one last performance befitting the player who became the country's record appearance holder and leading scorer.
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