Buenos Aires gave Lionel Messi a farewell beneath the Monumental lights, and the Argentina captain has returned to social media with another message for the supporters who filled the stadium for his final Albiceleste appearance.
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Messi, 39, thanked Argentina’s public after Tuesday’s 3-0 friendly victory over Benin at the Monumental. The Inter Miami forward scored once and supplied two assists in the match that brought his international career to a close.
In an Instagram post, Messi shared an image of himself looking down while lifting an Argentina shirt bearing the number 10. Instead of his name, the back displayed the word “Gracias”, matching the shirt prepared for him as he entered the field for the Benin game.
“Everything has been said, and now it is complete,” Messi wrote. “The only words that come from my heart are: thank you, Argentina.”
The Argentine Football Association staged a full-scale tribute around the fixture, with musical performances, fireworks and a drone display honouring the national-team captain.
After the final whistle, Messi addressed the crowd from the centre circle, surrounded by his family and Argentina teammates. He called it a great honour to have represented the shirt, while admitting that leaving the national side would cause him deep pain.
He said he would have liked to continue with Argentina forever, but felt this was the right time to end his international chapter.
Messi had already reflected on the decision in a post on Wednesday, saying that he missed wearing the Argentina jersey already and believed he was making the correct choice. He described himself as grateful to the supporters and said he would miss them, adding that he would always thank them for standing beside both the team and himself.
