The entire Argentine team and fans were thrown into emotion last night as arguably the greatest player of all time, Lionel Messi, played his final game for Argentina, bringing his 21-year stint with the national team to an end.
Messi, who had announced his retirement following the death of his father, received a standing ovation in the stadium, with 85,000 fans contributing to this final respect. The main farewell celebration took place after the game, featuring fireworks, lights, music and a message from Messi to the fans.
The Copa America champions played against Benin Republic in the early hours of Wednesday during FIFA international friendly games at the Estadio Más Monumental (Monumental Stadium) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Lionel Messi, of course, started the game and was on the scoresheet for the team, scoring their third goal in the 71st minute and helping them triumph 3-0 against Benin Republic. Not just that, he had a hand in all three goals, assisting Otamendi’s 48th-minute strike and also providing a brilliant assist for N. Paz’s goal in the 61st minute.
The 39-year-old, whose family watched from the stands, made his final remark:
“It was a huge source of pride for me to defend this jersey for more than 20 years. Even in the worst moments we went through and that I had, I never stopped fighting, never stopped being here. Not coming anymore is going to be deeply painful.”
Lionel Messi ended his Argentina career as the national team’s most-capped player and all-time leading scorer, finishing with 207 appearances and 125 goals, according to the Argentine Football Association.
Messi, who made his international debut in 2005, won four major titles with the senior team: the 2021 Copa América, 2022 Finalissima, 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2024 Copa América, while also winning the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup and 2008 Olympic gold medal, giving him six international titles across Argentina’s senior and youth/Olympic teams.
