Lionel Messi’s final night with Argentina began before he reached the Monumental. The playmaker was seen wiping away tears on the team bus as it made its way through a vast crowd in Buenos Aires.
Quick facts
- Argentina are playing Benin in a friendly at the Monumental.
- The match is set to kick off at 1am.
- It is billed as Messi’s last appearance for the national team.
- A tribute ceremony is planned after the final whistle.
- Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph will be central to the farewell.
Supporters lined the route to the stadium with flags and flares, creating a charged send-off for the Argentina No 10. Aerial footage showed Messi visibly affected by the reception as the bus approached the ground.
The farewell comes fewer than three months after Argentina’s World Cup final defeat to Spain, a result that has added another layer of emotion to an already significant occasion.
Benin provide the opposition for the friendly, but the match is expected to be defined by Messi’s goodbye rather than the result. His Argentina career includes the country’s World Cup win in 2022, the defining achievement of his international record.
Once the match is over, the Monumental will stage a ceremony to mark the end of Messi’s time in the Albiceleste shirt.
