Lionel Messi ended his 21-year Argentina international career in style on Tuesday, scoring one goal and providing two assists as the world champions defeated Benin 3-0 at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.
The 39-year-old forward was directly involved in all three goals as Argentina gave their captain a winning farewell in front of more than 85,000 spectators.
Nicolás Otamendi opened the scoring in the 48th minute after Messi delivered the assist from a corner. Messi then set up Nico Paz for Argentina’s second goal in the 61st minute before converting a penalty 10 minutes later to complete the victory.
The result brought the curtain down on one of the longest and most decorated international careers in football history.
Messi leaves the Argentina national team as the country’s most-capped player, with 208 appearances, and its all-time leading goalscorer with 126 goals.
“It’s hard to talk,” Messi said after the match, according to Reuters, as he reflected on the emotions surrounding his final appearance.
“There are a lot of emotions, a lot of things going through my head,” he added.
Messi said representing Argentina for more than two decades had been a major source of pride.
“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 carried a Nigerian connection, with former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr leading Benin against the Argentine side.
Rohr had previously faced Messi as Nigeria coach at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, when the Super Eagles played Argentina in the group stage.
Ahead of Tuesday’s friendly, Benin goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou insisted his team would approach the match competitively despite the occasion being centred on Messi’s farewell.
“This is football: eleven against eleven,” Dandjinou told Marca.
“We are not here to do tourism in Argentina, we are here to play and compete,” he added.
Dandjinou also rejected suggestions that Benin would allow Messi to score, saying his responsibility as a goalkeeper was to stop shots, including any penalty Messi might take.
Benin defender Mohamed Tijani, meanwhile, told C5N, according to Goal.com, that the team would not specifically mark Messi.
“We won’t be marking Messi. We’ll just enjoy this match,” he said.
Rohr described the occasion as a major honour for Benin and for him as a coach.
“Yes, it’s a big honor for us and also for me like a coach to play this last game of Leo Messi in his national team,” he told Footy-Africa.
The match had been announced as Messi’s farewell appearance for Argentina, with FIFA previously quoting Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia as inviting the national-team captain to receive a “deserved farewell” in Argentina.
Messi’s international career ends with 208 appearances and 126 goals, alongside Argentina’s major international honours, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup and two Copa América titles.
- Ghana moves to join BRICS - October 7, 2026
- Passenger dies on Kenya Airways flight minutes before Lagos landing - October 7, 2026
- US Army sets December 3 execution for Fort Hood shooter - October 7, 2026
