Buenos Aires gave Lionel Messi a farewell beneath the Monumental lights, and Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Benin became a night of gratitude for a player whose international career stretched across more than two decades. Before more than 80,000 spectators, Messi scored once and created two more goals in his final appearance for the Albiceleste.
A farewell at the Monumental
- Argentina gathered at the Monumental Stadium for a tribute match against Benin, marking Messi’s last outing in the national shirt.
- The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner delivered a final reminder of his influence, registering one goal and two assists in the 3-0 win.
- Head coach Lionel Scaloni was visibly moved before and during the occasion, admitting he had felt sadness at the prospect of losing such a singular footballer. He shed tears, particularly during the national anthem.
- After the match, Scaloni paid tribute to Messi’s service to Argentina and reflected on the task awaiting the world champions without him.
Scaloni hails an unmatched player
Scaloni, who guided Argentina to the World Cup in 2022 alongside Messi, described his namesake as the greatest player in football history and said no future player would reproduce what Messi brought to the pitch.
“He is an incomparable footballer,” Scaloni said. “I do not think there will be another like him on a football field after he is gone. I have never seen anything like it in my life. What he conveys, I have not seen in anyone else. We will look for other solutions, other qualities, but that feeling will no longer be there.”
The coach offered what he called everlasting gratitude for Messi’s contribution and for the way he represented Argentina. He said coaching the forward had exceeded anything he could have imagined.
“It has been a dream to coach him,” Scaloni said. “I told him in front of everyone, with the little strength I had left to say it: I never imagined I would become the coach of the best footballer in history.”
Argentina prepare for life after Messi
Scaloni said Messi leaves behind an extraordinary legacy, while acknowledging that replacing him will be difficult. The coach recalled Messi’s own view that the years Argentina have lived through recently were far from ordinary.
Argentina, however, must now continue without their long-serving captain and defining figure. Scaloni believes the response cannot rest on finding an individual substitute.
“The only way to make up for his departure is to have a great team, with everyone contributing their part,” he said.
