Messi Closes Argentina Career With Goal, Two Assists In Buenos Aires

Messi Closes Argentina Career With Goal, Two Assists In Buenos Aires

Lionel Messi played his final match for Argentina on Tuesday, scoring a penalty and setting up two goals as the national team beat Benin 3-0 in a friendly at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. An estimated 85,000 fans gave the captain a sustained ovation in what the federation had billed as his official farewell in an Argentina shirt.

Nicolas Otamendi opened the scoring in the 48th minute, heading home from a Messi corner. Messi then set up Nicolas Paz, who finished with his left foot in the 61st minute. Ten minutes later, Messi converted a penalty into the top corner, closing his international career with a goal in his last appearance. The match was his 208th for Argentina, a span that began with his senior debut in 2005 and included the 2022 World Cup title and two Copa América championships. eliteserie floorball odds

Messi, 39, announced on Aug. 31 that his time with the national team would come to an end. For the occasion, he wore a special edition Albiceleste jersey with wider stripes, a large sun on the crest and a golden No. 10, with a goat motif stitched into the back design - a reference to his standing as the sport's "Greatest of All Time." Early in the match, play was stopped so players from both teams could applaud him before a standing ovation from the crowd. He was accompanied at the stadium by his three sons. Before the game, the University of Buenos Aires awarded him an honorary doctorate at the national team's training complex in Ezeiza, citing his performances for Argentina and his influence beyond the pitch.

Messi's international career included a runner-up finish at the 2014 World Cup before Argentina's title in 2022, when he scored eight goals and provided four assists across the tournament. He remains the only player to have won the Ballon d'Or eight times, and his 2025 form has put him back in contention for the award alongside Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé, the players widely seen as leading candidates to inherit his standing in the game. Messi's move away from national-team duty does not affect his club career, which continues with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.