Twenty one years after a debut that lasted barely a minute, the greatest player of his generation closed his international story in front of a roaring Buenos Aires.
A Goodbye Worth Waiting For
In 2005, an 18 year old Lionel Messi pulled on the Argentina shirt for the first time and was sent off almost immediately. On Tuesday night, he left it on his own terms. At the Estadio Monumental, Argentina beat Benin 3-0, and the captain sealed the win with a 68th minute penalty, his 126th goal for his country. It was his 208th and final appearance.
The occasion was built as a celebration. About 85,000 spectators were expected, alongside several teammates from the 2022 World Cup-winning squad, with members of the emerging generation sharing the pitch. The evening even included a half-time musical show, and one report said the result mattered less than the moment.
For Argentines, this goodbye carried extra weight. Messi announced his international retirement on 31 August, and many supporters had believed the World Cup final was already his last dance. He left that match in tears after an ill-tempered 1-0 defeat to Spain. That wound lingered for weeks.
The Argentine Football Association then arranged a farewell on home soil. The fans responded with banners, songs and gratitude rather than grief. The mood in the stands was that of a country thanking someone who gave it two decades of joy.
The match was also a changing of the guard. Midfielders Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso were called up only for the Benin game, which raises the possibility that neither will play for Argentina again. Nicolás Otamendi was in the same position. Coach Lionel Scaloni, who built the golden era around his captain, watched it end from the touchline. The younger players, meanwhile, got to share a pitch with a legend one last time.
The Honours
Messi's trophy cabinet with Argentina tells the story of a long wait followed by total success:
FIFA World Cup 2022: Argentina's third world title, won in Qatar
Copa América: 2021 and 2024
Finalissima: 2022
Olympic gold: 2008
He bows out as Argentina's record appearance-maker and leading scorer, with a record 68 assists before the farewell match. The goal against Benin pushed his total to 126.
The Awards
Beyond team trophies, Messi's personal honours are unmatched. He has won a record eight Ballon d'Or awards. At World Cups he took the Golden Ball in both 2014 and 2022, and he played in six tournaments in total. At his final one, he registered eight goals and four assists to carry Argentina to the final, where they lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time.
The Journey
His international story was never a straight line. He lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany and several Copa América finals, and he even stepped away briefly in 2016 after one of those defeats. Critics said he could not do for his country what he did for his club. Then he won everything: the 2021 Copa América, the Finalissima, the World Cup, and another Copa América.
In his retirement message, he said he always gave his all, not only in the recent years when Argentina won everything, but before that too.
The Legacy
Messi leaves the shirt as Argentina's greatest player. His records may eventually fall, but the feeling he gave a nation, the belief that the impossible was possible, will not. The shirt with the number 10 now passes to a new generation, carrying the weight of everything he achieved.
