Lionel Messi ended his legendary Argentina career in perfect fashion on Tuesday, scoring a goal and providing two assists as Argentina defeated Benin 3-0 at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.
In front of more than 85,000 supporters, Messi delivered a final performance filled with the moments that have defined his international career: creativity, goals, assists, emotion and a connection with the Argentina shirt that has lasted for more than two decades.
The victory marked Messi's final appearance for the Argentina national team after 21 years representing the country.
Messi creates all three goals
Argentina went into halftime without a goal, but the second half quickly turned into a celebration of Messi's brilliance.
Messi provided the assist for Nicolás Otamendi to open the scoring before setting up Nico Paz for Argentina's second goal.
He then completed the perfect farewell by scoring from the penalty spot for the third goal.
The 3-0 victory meant Messi had a direct contribution to all three Argentina goals in his final international appearance.
His penalty was also his 126th international goal for Argentina, extending his record as the country's all-time leading scorer. He finished his international career with 208 appearances, according to multiple reports following the farewell.
The performance also added two assists to a career that has produced hundreds of assists for club and country.
A farewell worthy of Messi
The match was transformed into a national celebration long before kickoff.
The Argentina Football Association had billed the occasion as a farewell to the country's greatest football star, with the Monumental packed with more than 85,000 fans.
The crowd applauded Messi during the 10th minute, a tribute to his famous No. 10 shirt.
His family watched from the stands, while members of Argentina's World Cup-winning generations also attended to celebrate the captain.
At the final whistle, Messi was surrounded by his teammates and members of the Benin team as the stadium erupted in chants of his name. A drone show later illuminated the Buenos Aires sky as part of the farewell celebrations.
“I gave it all for Argentina”
After the match, Messi delivered an emotional speech to the supporters.
He thanked the Argentina shirt and reflected on the sacrifices he had made throughout his international career.
“I have nothing left to do but thank this shirt. I gave it all for Argentina.”
Messi also spoke about the difficult moments he experienced with the national team before Argentina's extraordinary period of success.
He said he had never stopped fighting for the shirt and had always tried to give his best whenever he represented the country.
The 39-year-old also revealed that his father, Jorge Messi, was the first person he thought about during the emotional occasion.
Messi confirms the end of his Argentina career
Messi made it clear that the farewell was not simply a celebration of his latest match but the conclusion of his international career.
He said he would have loved to remain with Argentina forever but acknowledged that the time had come to step away.
The decision comes after a remarkable final chapter with the national team.
After years of disappointment and criticism, Messi finally lifted the Copa América in 2021, followed by the Finalissima in 2022 and the World Cup in Qatar later that year.
Argentina then won another Copa América in 2024.
The national team also reached the 2026 World Cup final, where Argentina lost to Spain. Messi subsequently decided that his international career had reached its conclusion.
“I’m going to miss all of you”
Messi also used his farewell speech to look toward Argentina's next generation.
He said he would miss playing at the Monumental and supporting the national team, promising to remain behind the players who will carry the shirt forward.
He expressed pride in being Argentine and gratitude for the opportunity to represent his country for more than 20 years.
“I leave grateful, proud and at peace. Thank you for everything.”
The message captured the significance of the night. Messi was not simply saying goodbye to international football; he was closing a chapter that began in 2005, when he made his senior Argentina debut.
From criticism to national icon
Messi's relationship with Argentina was not always as celebrated as it is today.
For years, his performances were judged against the achievements of Diego Maradona and Argentina's historic World Cup triumphs.
The pressure intensified after defeats in the 2014 World Cup final and Copa América finals in 2015 and 2016.
Messi even briefly announced his international retirement in 2016 before returning to the national team.
Everything changed with the 2021 Copa América.
That triumph gave Messi his first major senior international trophy with Argentina and was followed by the Finalissima victory over Italy and the extraordinary World Cup triumph in Qatar.
The player who had once been questioned for his international record eventually became the central figure in one of the greatest eras in Argentine football history.
The numbers behind Messi's Argentina career
Messi leaves the Argentina national team as its record appearance holder and record goalscorer.
His final figures include:
• 208 international appearances
• 126 goals for Argentina
• Two Copa América titles
• One Finalissima
• One FIFA World Cup
• Four major senior international titles
• 425 career assists, according to the career statistic cited following his farewell
• 70th career game with two assists, according to the milestone reported after the Benin match
His international career also included six World Cup appearances and three World Cup final appearances — winning in 2022 and finishing runner-up in 2014 and 2026.
The end of the Lionel Messi era
The final whistle against Benin represented much more than the end of a friendly.
It marked the conclusion of Messi's 21-year journey with Argentina.
He leaves behind the country's most goals, the most appearances and a collection of trophies that transformed his relationship with Argentine supporters.
Most importantly, he leaves as a World Cup champion.
Messi's final contribution was fitting: a goal, two assists and a victory.
After the match, he thanked the supporters who had followed him through the difficult years and the unforgettable triumphs.
And as the Monumental sang his name one final time, the Lionel Messi era with Argentina officially came to an end.
