Messi ends his glorious Argentina career in style: A win, goals and a final tribute

And one day, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that player who seemed eternal said "goodbye." The one who, with a blessed left foot, carved out a utopian career over more than two decades, full of thrills and glory. Yes, finally, before a packed Monumental Stadium filled with 80,000 fans, Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini brought his marvelous career with the Argentine national soccer team to a close.

"It was a great source of pride for me to wear this jersey," the Albiceleste captain said amid the ovation and tears of the Argentine fans, who turned out en masse to bid farewell to the man who, with all due respect to Diego Armando Maradona, is their greatest sports icon. "All I can do is say thank you (…) not coming back here anymore is going to be very painful."

Messi's final match, in which he shared the field with the world champions from Qatar 2022, was against the Benin national team, a team from Africa that, far from going through the motions or simply joining in the tribute, played very well in the first half and could even have scored a goal before halftime. Argentina, which took the field with a starting lineup full of legendary players and stars from the Scaloni era, Dibu Martínez, Otamendi, Romero, Tagliafico, Enzo Fernández, Mac Allister, Rodrigo de Paul, Lautaro, and Julián Álvarez, seemed sluggish in a match where the main focus, for obvious reasons, was neither on the game nor the result. It was all about Messi.

But as Leo Messi couldn't retire from the Albiceleste with a loss, Argentina came out in the second half, after a complicated match, to seal the victory, subjecting Benin to a barrage of attacks.

First up was Otamendi, another player bidding farewell to the Argentine national team, who finished off a perfect cross from Messi off a corner kick.

Then came Nico Paz, a Spanish-born Argentine soccer player who wears No. 10 for Como and is among the players tipped to inherit Messi's legendary jersey.

In fact, Paz received a pass from Messi at the edge of the box; Messi had called for a give-and-go as he dribbled, but instead—as if to put the "No. 10" and captain at ease— Nico turned and fired a stunning goal into the top corner, sending the Argentine crowd into a frenzy. Some on social media even compared this goal to Messi's first goal at FC Barcelona. Not because it was similar, but because, on that occasion, Ronaldinho, Leo's soccer mentor, delivered a marvelous pass that allowed a young Messi to finish with a chip shot.

In this case, while Messi's pass wasn't quite as decisive in setting up the goal, the technical finesse, the strike, and Paz's turn were reminiscent of the hundreds of goals Leo has scored from the edge of the box. That's why many Argentines believe that, in the post-Messi era, there's enough talent to ensure we won't miss one of the best, if not the best of all time, all that much.

After attempting shots from various areas of the field and in different plays, the rout was capped off by Messi, from the penalty spot, with a powerful, angled shot that beat Benin's fine goalkeeper, Marcel Dandjinou, who put in a solid performance, as did the rest of his teammates.

In the second half, in addition to Paz, Argentina also brought on Lisandro Martínez, Franco Mastantuono, Exequiel Palacios, Nico González, Giovani Lo Celso, Facundo Medina, and the promising winger Leonel Flores, who also got to play for a few minutes alongside Leo Messi, who played the full 90 minutes.

That was also a nice touch in the match: as he has done throughout his career, Messi played the entire game. He never liked being substituted, and his farewell was no exception.

At the end of the match, with the crowd cheering him on and chanting in his honor, a drone show took place at the Monumental to honor him. At the start of the match, the same thing happened, but with a giant blue-and-white jersey bearing his name and the number 10. At halftime, they also held a brief concert.

In the stands, to bid farewell to number 10, was his family—his wife, children, and mother at the forefront—with the notable physical absence—though certainly not spiritual—of Jorge Messi, Leo's father and longtime agent, who passed away on August 8, 2026, after battling an illness. Also in attendance were legendary figures from Argentine soccer, including his friend and longtime national teammate Ángel Di María, who, like Leo Messi, worked his way up from the bottom to become a national team legend.

Messi's career with Argentina was as glorious as it was exciting—though at times it was tragic. At a low point, between 2014 and 2016, Messi and Argentina lost three consecutive finals in the World Cup and Copa América. After the 2016 final in the U.S., where the Albiceleste fell to Chile in a penalty shootout, Messi decided to take a brief step back, explaining to the media, through a flood of tears, that Argentina was no longer for him, since he "couldn't deliver" the long-awaited title he sought for his people.

However, months later, Messi returned and announced it in a heartfelt statement declaring his eternal love for Argentina.

His return was far from idyllic. In Russia 2018, he played, perhaps, his worst World Cup, and Argentina suffered an early elimination at the hands of France, which went on to win the tournament. Then, in 2019, Argentina lost in the Copa América semifinals to Brazil.

So, just when it seemed that Messi might not have enough time left to win a title with his national team, a group of young players who looked up to him as an idol but treated him as just another member of the group, and a young, intelligent, and perceptive coaching staff capable of understanding the number 10's style of play, created the ideal environment to harness all the experience, talent, and leadership of the sport's most influential player. The "Scaloneta" was formed, and the rest is history: Brazil 2021, the Finalissima vs. Italy, Qatar 2022, the U.S. 2024, and the final World Cup appearance in 2026.

And that's how, after a glorious career, not without its setbacks, Leo Messi said "goodbye" to the Argentine national team. After having achieved it all. After having fulfilled his promises. After, as he put it, "giving it his all" to make his people—the Argentines—happy.