Buenos Aires, Argentina – Lionel Messi retired from international football on Tuesday, scoring a goal and providing two assists as Argentina defeated Benin 3-0 in a friendly international. Messi, playing in his record-extending 208th international, provided the assist for the opening goal scored by veteran Nicolas Otamendi, with Nico Paz also scoring. Messi’s 71st-minute penalty was his record-extending 126th international goal.
The 39-year-old, widely regarded as the greatest player in football history, had announced his decision to retire in August following Argentina’s World Cup defeat to Spain. Messi brought the curtain down on his 21-year international career on Tuesday, bidding farewell to adoring Argentina fans in an emotional final appearance. The match was a footnote to the occasion itself, which saw Messi savouring the adulation of the Monumental Stadium crowd one last time for an event billed as ‘The Last Tango’.
Beforehand, Messi wiped away tears as the bus carrying him and his Argentina teammates made its way through crowds of wellwishers en route to the stadium. Messi took the field alongside his three children and received affectionate waves from his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and his mother, Celia Cuccittini, who were watching from a VIP box. Shortly before kick-off, a giant Argentina jersey bearing the word “Gracias” above Messi’s No. 10 was laid out on the pitch as the crowd roared their approval.
Messi welled up again as Falklands War veteran Fabio Santana sang the national anthem beside a banner reading “The Malvinas are Argentine.” The match was halted in the 10th minute—in tribute to Messi’s famous shirt number—for a minute-long ovation. He crowned the occasion with a goal from the penalty spot in the 71st minute. At the final whistle, a drone show lit up the night sky above the stadium, showing Messi’s image and thanking the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner for his career.
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Messi’s farewell came two and a half months after Argentina’s World Cup final defeat to Spain in New Jersey. “I gave it my all; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are great young players coming up who deserve their chance,” Messi wrote at the time. Before Tuesday’s game, the University of Buenos Aires awarded Messi an honorary doctorate in a ceremony at the Argentine Football Association headquarters. Former Barcelona teammate Neymar paid tribute on X, saying, “It’s not just Argentina that thanks you, the world thanks you for everything you did for football.”
Messi remains under contract with Inter Miami until 2028, although following the death of his father, Jorge, two months ago, he revealed he may hang up his boots for good sooner than anticipated. During his time with the Albiceleste, Argentina won one World Cup, were runners-up twice, and were crowned Copa America champions in 2021 and 2024.
