Wellington Jopelo
Lionel Messi brought his extraordinary international career to a fitting conclusion on Tuesday night, delivering one final masterclass for Argentina as the world champions defeated Benin 3-0 at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. The 39-year-old captain scored once and provided two assists in an emotional farewell that celebrated more than two decades of service to the Argentine national team.
The occasion was far bigger than the result. Thousands of supporters packed the Monumental to honour a player who has become inseparable from Argentina’s football identity. For 21 years, Messi carried the expectations of an entire nation, experienced some of the most painful defeats of his career in the famous blue and white shirt, and eventually transformed those disappointments into one of the greatest success stories in international football.
Messi made his senior Argentina debut in 2005 and went on to become the country’s most-capped player and all-time leading goalscorer. His final appearance took his international record to 208 caps and 126 goals, figures that underline the extraordinary longevity and consistency of a career that included the Copa América, Finalissima and, most importantly, the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The farewell began with an atmosphere unlike an ordinary international fixture. Argentina supporters filled the stadium with banners, songs and tributes for their captain, while the match was interrupted during the 10th minute as the crowd rose to celebrate Messi’s iconic No. 10 shirt. The occasion carried a mixture of celebration and sadness, as supporters understood they were watching the final chapter of an era.
Despite the emotion surrounding the occasion, Messi remained focused on the football. Argentina eventually opened the scoring through Nicolás Otamendi, with Messi playing his part in the move. He later produced another moment of brilliance by setting up Nicolás Paz for Argentina’s second goal, before completing his own farewell with a goal from the penalty spot in the second half.
The penalty was converted with the calmness that has characterised so much of Messi’s career. As the ball hit the net, the Monumental erupted, with his teammates surrounding him while the supporters celebrated what would be his final goal for Argentina. The 3-0 victory gave Messi the perfect result to accompany the emotional occasion.
After the final whistle, the focus shifted from football to the man himself. Messi stood before the supporters and delivered an emotional speech in which he reflected on his career, his family, his teammates and the extraordinary relationship he has built with Argentina.
“It’s very hard to say anything today,” Messi said as he addressed the crowd, while acknowledging that the occasion had brought back memories of his late father, Jorge Messi, who died in August.
The Argentina captain spoke about what representing his country has meant to him throughout his career, describing the opportunity to play for Argentina as one of the greatest privileges a footballer can experience.
“Playing for Argentina is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you,” Messi said, reflecting on the significance of wearing the national shirt and representing millions of people around the country.
His journey with Argentina was far from straightforward. Messi endured years of criticism after Argentina suffered defeats in major finals, including losses in the 2014 World Cup final and consecutive Copa América finals. The pressure became so intense that he briefly announced his international retirement in 2016 following another Copa América final defeat.
However, Messi returned, and what followed became the greatest period in Argentina’s modern football history. The team won the 2021 Copa América, followed that with the Finalissima and then achieved the ultimate prize when Messi lifted the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
That World Cup victory completed the part of Messi’s career that had remained unfinished for so long. The player who had been repeatedly questioned for failing to deliver a major international trophy finally became a world champion, scoring seven goals during the tournament and producing one of the most memorable individual World Cup campaigns in history.
Speaking during his farewell, Messi also expressed gratitude to the teammates who shared those difficult years with him and eventually helped Argentina become champions. He praised the group for their commitment and described the players around him as warriors who consistently gave everything for the national team.
He also thanked the Argentine supporters, whose relationship with him changed dramatically over the course of his career. The same player who was once criticised by sections of the fanbase eventually became the country’s most beloved football figure, with supporters travelling thousands of miles and filling stadiums simply to watch him play for Argentina.
Messi admitted that leaving the national team was difficult, but he also made it clear that he felt at peace with the decision. After everything he had experienced, he believed he had given everything he could to the country.
“I leave in peace. I gave everything,” Messi said.
Those words captured the meaning of the farewell. Messi did not leave Argentina wondering what more he could have done. He leaves as the nation’s record goalscorer, its most-capped player, a Copa América champion and the captain who finally brought the World Cup back to Argentina.
His final night was therefore not about mourning the end of a career but celebrating everything that came before it. From the teenage prodigy who first appeared for Argentina in 2005 to the captain who lifted the World Cup in 2022, Messi’s journey has covered an entire generation of football.
As he walked around the Monumental for the final time, Messi was joined by his family and teammates while supporters gave him a prolonged standing ovation. The stadium became a celebration of his achievements, with tributes and visual displays honouring the career of a player whose influence extends far beyond his goals and trophies.
There could hardly have been a more appropriate farewell. Messi scored, created goals, led Argentina to victory and then stood before the supporters to thank them for staying with him through the highs and lows. Even in his final appearance, he remained the central figure, producing the quality that has defined his career.
For Argentina, the departure marks the end of one of the most remarkable eras in the country’s football history. For Messi, it is the closing of a chapter that began more than two decades ago and eventually delivered everything he had dreamed of achieving with the national team.
The GOAT has finally bowed out of international football, not with disappointment or unfinished business, but as a world champion who gave Argentina everything he had.
And after 21 years of goals, assists, heartbreak, trophies and unforgettable nights, Argentina finally had the opportunity to give Lionel Messi something in return: a farewell worthy of the man who gave the country its greatest footballing memories.