Buenos Aires closed a long international chapter as Lionel Messi scored Argentina’s final goal of his national-team career against Benin, bringing more than two decades in the Albiceleste shirt to a fitting conclusion. The captain’s 126th strike for his country was the last mark in a record that reaches far beyond goals alone.
Key takeaways
- Messi leaves Argentina as the nation’s all-time leading scorer, with 126 goals.
- He made a record 208 appearances for the senior national side and supplied 70 assists.
- His senior honours include the 2022 World Cup, the 2021 and 2024 Copa América titles, and the 2022 Finalissima.
- Before his senior triumphs, he won the 2005 FIFA Under-20 World Cup and Olympic gold at Beijing 2008.
A farewell goal and a record career
The goal against Benin carried the number that had come to define Messi’s scoring relationship with Argentina: 126. It confirmed his place at the summit of the country’s international scoring chart, while his 208 caps also leave him as the most capped player in Albiceleste history.
Across those appearances, Messi created as well as finished, registering 70 assists for the senior side. His final figures reflect a career that began with a young forward carrying huge expectations and ended with a captain who led Argentina through its most successful modern period.
From early medals to the world title
Messi’s Argentina collection began before the senior trophies arrived. He was part of the team that won the Under-20 World Cup in 2005, then added an Olympic gold medal in Beijing three years later.
The defining senior successes followed later: Copa América victories in 2021 and 2024, the Finalissima in 2022, and the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Those four major senior titles completed a journey that also included near misses in five major finals — three Copa América defeats and two World Cup final losses.
Not every final ended with silverware, but the full sequence gives the scale of Messi’s international story: youth champion, Olympic winner, continental champion and world champion, leaving with Argentina’s appearance and scoring records in his possession.
