In a farewell night on Argentine soil, Lionel Messi once again shaped the occasion as Argentina beat Benin 3-0, with the captain contributing goals and assists in front of supporters watching his final home appearance for the national team.
The result mattered, but the evening in Argentina was chiefly about Messi’s long relationship with the Albiceleste. The forward left his mark on the scoreline and received the recognition of a crowd that has followed him through the most successful period in the country’s recent football history.
Scaloni reflects on Messi’s singular presence
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni used his post-match remarks to underline what separates Messi from every other player he has encountered, saying the captain possesses an intangible quality unlike anything he saw during his own playing career.
“That word people use now, ‘aura’ — I have not seen it in anyone else,” Scaloni said. “I played with great footballers, but I have never seen anybody generate what he generates.”
Scaloni has spent years alongside Messi, first within the Argentina set-up and then as the coach who led the side through one of its defining eras. He described that opportunity as extraordinary, while acknowledging that the team must eventually move forward without its captain.
“It has been incredible to enjoy him,” Scaloni said. “At some point we will have to continue without him, and we will do that because it is what must happen.”
A dream realised on the Argentina bench
The coach also spoke of the personal significance of managing Messi, recalling that such a prospect had seemed far beyond imagination when he first began his work on the touchline.
“For me, coaching him was a dream,” Scaloni said. “I told him that in front of everyone. It is a dream I was able to make real. At no stage of my life did I imagine I would become the manager of the greatest player in history.”
Messi’s final home match for Argentina therefore ended in fitting fashion: a 3-0 victory over Benin, direct involvement in goals, and a stadium tribute to a player whose influence has extended far beyond the final whistle.
