Lionel Messi signed off from international football in unforgettable fashion, scoring a penalty and setting up two goals as Argentina swept aside Benin 3-0 at a packed Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on Tuesday night.
More than 85,000 supporters gathered on October 6 to celebrate the end of Messi’s extraordinary 21-year Argentina career. The night quickly became a personal showcase, with the captain involved in every goal.
Messi delivered the first decisive moment in the 48th minute, curling in a corner that Nicolás Otamendi converted to give Argentina the lead. Thirteen minutes after the hour mark, he turned provider again, creating the opportunity for Nico Paz to make it 2-0.
He saved his own moment for the 71st minute. Messi stepped up from the penalty spot, sent the goalkeeper the wrong way and completed Argentina’s emphatic victory.
“It’s hard to talk,” Messi said after the final whistle, visibly affected by the occasion.
“There are a lot of emotions, a lot of things going through my head,” he added.
Looking back on more than two decades in the national shirt, Messi described the experience as 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. “Playing for Argentina is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you.”
The farewell also featured a familiar figure on the opposing touchline, with former Nigeria head coach Gernot Rohr leading Benin.
Messi leaves the Argentina setup as the country’s record appearance holder, with 208 caps, and its all-time leading scorer with 126 goals. His international honours include the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2024 Copa América.
After years of triumph, disappointment and redemption, Messi’s final Argentina appearance provided the perfect closing scene: a victory, a goal, two assists and a stadium united in tribute to its greatest footballing son.