Messi ends Argentina career with goal and two assists in emotional farewell

Lionel Messi has played his final match for Argentina, ending his international career with a goal and two assists in a friendly against Benin at the Estadio Monumental. The 39-year-old record international, who had announced his farewell in a video message ahead of the game, delivered an emotional performance before addressing the crowd.

A farewell marked by emotion

Messi, who started the match, was the centerpiece of the night. According to Voetbal International, he spoke to the Argentine public after the victory over Benin, saying: "Er gaan zoveel emoties door mij heen" ("So many emotions are going through me"). The Dutch outlet reported that he expressed gratitude to the many fans present in the stadium.

A video message before the last dance

In the run-up to the match, Messi had already shared a video message, as reported by De Telegraaf and Voetbalprimeur. In it, he reflected on what the Argentina shirt meant to him, calling it "mijn droom, mijn trots en mijn leven" ("my dream, my pride and my life"). Voetbalprimeur noted that the video served as an early farewell to the national team, with the world champion of 2022 set to play his very last international in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday.

A night dedicated to Messi

The friendly against Benin was entirely dedicated to Messi's farewell, with the match starting at 01:00 local time. NU.nl highlighted that he marked the occasion with a goal and two assists, making the evening a fitting tribute to one of football's greatest players.