Lionel Messi, the global soccer icon, delivered a memorable performance in his final appearance for Argentina’s national team, contributing to all three goals in a 3-0 exhibition victory against Benin on Tuesday in Buenos Aires. The atmosphere was charged with emotion even before Messi, aged 39, stepped onto the pitch at Estadio Monumental, where a sold-out crowd passionately chanted his name and sang in tribute during his 208th international match.
Playing the entire 90 minutes in the friendly match, which was referred to in Argentina as the “last tango,” Messi provided his first assist with a corner kick that Nicolas Otamendi converted with a header in the 48th minute. He then assisted Nico Paz for the second goal. Messi capped off the game by scoring his 126th career goal for Argentina from a penalty kick in the 70th minute, sparking widespread chants of his name and emotional reactions from the crowd.
After the match, Messi expressed his deep connection to the national team, saying, “To not come here anymore is going to hurt a lot. I swear to you, if it were up to me, I would love to be here playing for the rest of my life, because playing for the Argentine national team is the most beautiful thing that can ever happen to you.”
Messi’s international career is distinguished by his participation in a record-tying six World Cups, most recently in July when Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in the final. He appeared in three World Cup finals, including the victorious 2022 Qatar tournament, and scored 21 World Cup goals. Since becoming team captain in 2011, Messi has set records for the most goals and appearances for Argentina, which also secured Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.
Although Messi is not retiring from professional soccer—he remains under contract with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer through the 2028 season—he decided in August to step away from international play, stating, “The time has come.” This decision came shortly after the passing of his father, Jorge Messi, who died at 68 following an unspecified illness on August 8. Jorge had been his agent and managed his business affairs.
Family members, including Messi’s mother and wife, attended the match from the stands, while his sons Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro joined him on the field during the pre-match national anthem. Messi, who made his Argentina debut on August 17, 2005, thanked fans and teammates and paid tribute to his late father during his farewell address.
He expressed pride in representing Argentina and achieving “the dream with all of you,” before acknowledging the difficulty of the moment: “Now, inevitably, I face the saddest day of my career: saying goodbye to the national team. Goodbye to all of you. I’m going to miss you; I’m going to miss defending the national team’s colors, but now I’ll be right there alongside you, supporting these guys and everyone who comes after them. Always, always united.”
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