Lionel Messi scored in his final national team match as Argentina beat Benin Republic 3-0 at the Estadio Monumental in the early hours of Wednesday.
The 39-year-old announced his retirement from international football in August after the 2026 FIFA World Cup final heartbreak, and chose the match against Benin as his farewell game.
Nicolás Otamendi opened the scoring for Argentina in the 48th minute before Nico Paz doubled the lead in the 61st minute, with Messi sealing the victory from the penalty spot in the 71st minute to bow out of the international scene in spectacular fashion.
Messi’s career with the Argentina national team began in 2005 against Hungary and spanned more than two decades, during which he made 208 appearances, scored 126 goals and provided 69 assists.
During that period, the football icon won four major titles with Argentina, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, two Copa America and the Finalissima.
Addressing the stadium after the match, Messi described today as the saddest day of his career but maintained it was a huge honour to represent Argentina.
“It was a huge source of pride for me to defend this jersey for more than 20 years. Even in the worst moments we went through, and that I had, I never stopped fighting, never stopped being here. Not coming anymore is going to be deeply painful. I swear I’d like to play for the rest of my life, because playing for the Argentina national team is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you.”
“Now I’m here on the saddest day of my career, which is the day I have to say goodbye to the national team, goodbye to all of you. But now I’ll be on that side (with the fans), supporting all the boys, everyone who comes in. Always united,” Messi said.
The Inter Miami midfielder said he wished he could remain with the national team forever. Still, he acknowledged that the emotional turmoil after the World Cup final defeat to Spain had become too difficult to bear.
“Even though I want to be here all my life, I feel that this is the moment. The last World Cup was too much, everything I had to live through. We had the dream of fulfilling my dream and the dream of the whole country, of becoming world champions again.
“In the last World Cup we were very close, and the reality is that nothing strange happened, as people say. The match against England took a huge toll on us physically, and emotionally it was very big,” Messi stated.