Messi Says Farewell to Argentina With a Goal in 3-0 Win

Lionel Messi played his final match for the Argentine national team on Tuesday night. He scored from the penalty spot and added two assists in a 3-0 friendly win over Benin at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires.

The occasion was less a football match than a national celebration. More than 85,000 fans filled the stadium, and at 39, Messi earned his 208th cap and scored his 126th goal for Argentina, both records for the national team. The emotion began well before kickoff. The captain cried during the tribute and walked onto the field with his children.

The match itself paused for a moment of recognition. The game stopped so the entire stadium could applaud Messi, while Benin's players came over to greet him and fireworks accompanied the ovation. Messi also set up Nico Paz, one of the players seen as a possible heir to the number 10 shirt, for the second goal.

The closing goal was a fitting one. Messi converted the penalty with a powerful left-footed shot that went in high. It set off the familiar "Messi, Messi" chant in the stands. At the final whistle, teammates, opponents, and even the referee surrounded him for hugs, and a drone show lit up the sky to close his time with the national team.

Messi is not the only one leaving. A defender who shared 17 years with him in the national team, including four World Cups, also said goodbye.

His farewell closes one of the great international careers in football. It spans about 21 years at the top of the world game. He led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and for millions of fans he defined an era. The sign in your photo, thanking him as the "GOAT," captures what many supporters felt.