Buenos Aires gave Lionel Messi a farewell steeped in family emotion at the Estadio Monumental, where the Argentina captain played his final match for the national team after more than two decades in the Albiceleste shirt.
The night’s most affecting image came after Messi addressed the crowd. His eldest son, Thiago, was overcome by tears and ran on to the pitch to meet his father at midfield. Messi embraced him as Antonela Roccuzzo arrived with their other sons, Mateo and Ciro.
Mateo was also shown wiping away tears while Messi delivered his closing remarks. The Inter Miami player managed to speak without breaking down, but the response from his children underlined the scale of the occasion for a family that has followed his long international career.
A final message at the Monumental
Speaking to the supporters in the packed stadium, Messi described the occasion as the saddest day of his career and said he would miss representing Argentina.
“This is the saddest day of my career,” Messi told the crowd. “I will miss you, and I will miss wearing the national team colours. Now I will be alongside you. Difficult moments will come, and then we must support the team more than ever.”
He also returned to a point he had made in the squad’s final meeting, stressing that major ambitions depend on building a united and resilient group.
“It is hard to say anything today because there are so many emotions,” Messi said. “All that remains is gratitude. It was an enormous honour to wear this shirt for more than 20 years.”
Messi reflected on the difficult periods as well as the successes of his Argentina career, saying the team had always needed to fight, give everything and retain the desire to be present for the country.
“I would honestly like to come forever,” he added. “Playing for Argentina is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you.”
With his family on the field and the Monumental looking on, Messi’s words brought a close to an Argentina journey that had lasted more than 20 years.
