Lionel Messi’s Argentina farewell had barely settled in Buenos Aires when the scale of the moment reached him. A day after the 3-0 gala win over Benin, the 39-year-old said he already missed wearing the national shirt, while insisting that retirement was the right call.
Messi announced his feelings in an Instagram message on Wednesday, following his final appearance for Argentina on Tuesday. “Yesterday was my last match and I already miss the Argentina shirt,” he wrote.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner described an international journey that brought both triumph and hardship. “It has been an incredible road, full of happiness but also some sadness,” Messi said, thanking his family and former team-mates.
A final tribute to Maradona
Messi also remembered Diego Maradona, Argentina’s other iconic No. 10, who died in 2020 aged 60. He said Maradona had continued to help the squad, both when he was present and “from the sky”.
His final Argentina match came against Benin in Buenos Aires, bringing down the curtain on a record-breaking international career.
The numbers behind an Argentina era
Messi leaves the national team as Argentina’s leading scorer, top assist provider and most-capped player.
- 208 appearances for Argentina
- 126 goals
- 70 assists
- World Cup winner in 2022
- Copa América winner in 2021 and 2024
- Olympic gold medal at Beijing 2008
For Messi, the decision ends a remarkable chapter with the Albiceleste: one that moved from years of near misses to the World Cup triumph in Qatar, and finally to a farewell night in the Argentine capital.
