Messi Bids Emotional Farewell to Argentina After Benin Win
Messi marked his farewell with his 126th international goal after converting a penalty in the 71st minute.
Lionel Messi ended his remarkable international career in emotional fashion on Tuesday night, scoring in Argentina's 3-0 victory over Benin at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. Photo: Getty Images.
By Robert Mutasi
Lionel Messi ended his remarkable international career in emotional fashion on Tuesday night, scoring in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Benin at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.
The 39-year-old forward made his final appearance for the national team in front of about 85,000 supporters, bringing an end to a 21-year international career that saw him become Argentina’s most-capped player and leading scorer.
Messi marked his farewell with his 126th international goal after converting a penalty in the 71st minute. He also provided assists for Nicolás Otamendi and Nico Paz as Argentina produced a fitting result for their captain.
The occasion carried greater significance than the friendship itself. Messi arrived at the stadium in tears as thousands of supporters lined the streets to see him make his final journey to the national team’s home ground.
He walked onto the pitch with his three children before joining his teammates for the farewell ceremony. His wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and his mother, Celia Cuccittini, watched from the stands.
Before kick-off, a giant Argentina shirt carrying Messi’s famous No. 10 and the word “Gracias” was displayed on the pitch as supporters paid tribute to the player who helped deliver some of the country’s greatest football successes.
The match itself included a special moment in the 10th minute when play was stopped for a minute-long ovation in honour of Messi.
He later put the finishing touch on the night when he stepped up to take Argentina’s penalty. The forward made no mistake, sending the ball into the net for the final goal of his international career.
The farewell ceremony continued after the final whistle, with a drone display forming images of Messi above the stadium as supporters celebrated his career.
Messi then addressed the crowd in an emotional speech, reflecting on his long association with the national team and the difficulty of walking away.
He said representing Argentina had been one of the greatest honours of his life and admitted that leaving the national team would be painful.
His international journey had not always been smooth.
Messi endured several major disappointments before finally winning the Copa América in 2021 and the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Argentina also won the Finalissima during that period, establishing one of the most successful stretches in the country’s football history.
He later helped Argentina reach the 2026 World Cup final, although they lost 1-0 to Spain. That defeat came just weeks before his final appearance against Benin.
Messi had announced his international retirement after the World Cup final, saying he had given everything he could to the national team. Argentina’s football authorities subsequently invited him to return for a final farewell match in Buenos Aires.
The Benin match gave him the opportunity to say goodbye on home soil.
His final statistics underline his extraordinary international career. Messi finished with 208 appearances and 126 goals for Argentina, figures that leave him as the country’s record appearance holder and top scorer.
His departure also leaves Argentina facing the difficult task of rebuilding without a player who remained central to the team’s attack for more than two decades.
For now, however, the focus is on Messi’s contribution to the national team. After years of setbacks and criticism, he leaves Argentina as a World Cup winner, a Copa América champion and one of the most decorated players in international football.
The Monumental farewell provided the final chapter. Messi walked away with another goal, two assists and a stadium full of supporters thanking him for everything he gave to the Argentina shirt.
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