Buenos Aires gave Lionel Messi a farewell that felt larger than one match, one stadium or even one generation. From Ezeiza to River Plate’s Monumental, Argentina’s final night with its No. 10 in the national shirt became a countrywide expression of gratitude, with the word “Thank you” carried by supporters, ceremonies and a drone display above the city.
Messi’s final appearance for Argentina ended with a goal, two assists and a 3-0 victory over Benin, but the occasion reached far beyond the result. For younger supporters, he was the player who accompanied their first memories of football. For those who once believed Diego Maradona could never be matched, Messi had long since earned his own place at the summit.
A final journey in blue and white
- Messi became emotional when crowds greeted the Argentina squad as it left the Ezeiza training complex for the Monumental.
- Before kick-off, a giant Argentina No. 10 shirt was laid across the pitch, bearing “Thank you” where the player’s name would normally appear.
- On the way towards the field, Messi urged his teammates to treat the evening as a game to be won: “Let’s enjoy it by winning, keeping the ball and scoring goals.”
- He embraced his three children before entering the stadium, then struggled to contain his emotion during his last national anthem as an Argentina player. Coach Lionel Scaloni was also overcome.
- The match paused in the 10th minute for a stadium-wide ovation in honour of the departing captain.
Benin’s resistance and Messi’s last contribution
Benin did not arrive merely to take part in the ceremony and made the contest uncomfortable in its early stages. Messi searched for the goal the entire stadium wanted, testing the goalkeeper from distance and later sending a finish just wide after Lautaro Martínez supplied an inventive outside-of-the-foot pass.
Argentina eventually found room after the interval, with Messi central to the decisive moments.
- Messi created the opening goal for Nicolás Otamendi, who was also bidding farewell to international football.
- He then supplied Nicolás Paz for Argentina’s second, a finish that sharpened the sense that a possible successor to the No. 10 shirt was emerging.
- The long-awaited Messi goal arrived from the penalty spot. It was his 126th for Argentina in 208 appearances across 21 years with the senior national team.
- He came close twice more and continued looking for another until the final moments, when a 93rd-minute free kick cleared the crossbar.
That final attempt brought the playing chapter to a close. Messi leaves Argentina without unfinished business: a World Cup winner, the figurehead of a side that restored the country’s belief in itself, and the example for those now charged with carrying the shirt forward.
Messi’s message after the last whistle
There were few tears left by the time Messi addressed the Monumental. He described the occasion as the saddest day of his career, remembered his father, thanked teammates from every stage of his Argentina life and promised that he would remain close to the national side.
He also called for unity, told supporters that there had been nothing improper about the World Cup final won by Spain, applauded the crowd and smiled through the closing moments. Then he left the pitch alongside his son Thiago, completing an evening shaped as much by affection as by loss.
Argentina had its perfect send-off. The harder part begins now: learning to play on without Messi.
