Lionel Messi’s final night in an Argentina shirt could hardly have been scripted better.
In front of more than 85,000 emotional supporters at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina defeated Benin 3–0 on Tuesday, October 6, as Messi brought the curtain down on a remarkable 21-year international career. The captain scored once and created the other two goals, ensuring his final appearance ended with victory, another record and an unforgettable farewell.
The match itself was a friendly, but there was nothing ordinary about the occasion. It was the final time Argentine supporters would see Messi walk onto the pitch wearing the famous blue and white shirt.
A night that belonged to Messi
The atmosphere inside the Monumental was emotional even before kick-off.
Messi arrived at the stadium knowing he was about to play his 208th and final match for Argentina. Fans had prepared tributes throughout Buenos Aires, while a huge number 10 shirt carrying the message “Gracias” was displayed in his hometown of Rosario. Thousands also lined the team’s route to the stadium.
When the players entered the field, Benin captain Sessi D’Almeida presented Messi with a gift and a letter. The gesture captured the wider meaning of the evening: this was not simply Argentina against Benin, but the football world saying goodbye to one of its defining figures.
The match was also briefly paused in the 10th minute, a tribute to Messi’s famous shirt number. The crowd rose for a standing ovation as fireworks and chants filled the stadium.
A quiet first half
The first half ended goalless.
Argentina dominated possession and territory but could not find a way through Benin’s defence. The visitors, ranked well below Argentina internationally, remained organised and frustrated the hosts.
For Messi, however, the night was never simply about the result. Every touch was greeted by cheers, with supporters conscious that each moment could be his last in an Argentina shirt.
Otamendi breaks the deadlock
Argentina finally opened the scoring in the 48th minute.
Messi provided the decisive assist, setting up Nicolás Otamendi to finish and give the hosts a 1–0 lead. It was an especially meaningful goal because Otamendi had shared 17 years of international football with Messi and was also bringing his own Argentina career to an end.
Nico Paz represents the future
In the 61st minute, Messi again turned provider.
This time he created the opening for Nico Paz, one of the younger players viewed as part of Argentina’s next generation. Paz calmly finished to make it 2–0.
Messi had spent more than two decades carrying Argentina’s hopes. Now, on his final night, he was helping create a moment for a player who could one day inherit the famous No. 10 shirt.
The perfect ending
Then came the moment everyone inside the Monumental had been waiting for.
Argentina were awarded a penalty in the 71st minute, and Messi stepped forward.
There was no hesitation.
The 39-year-old sent the ball into the net to make it 3–0, scoring the 126th and final goal of his Argentina career.
Fans chanted Messi’s name as the captain stood surrounded by his teammates. His final Argentina performance had produced a goal and two assists a fitting final demonstration of the creativity and quality that defined his career.
Argentina’s official football association described the night as a fitting farewell, noting that Messi finished his final match on home soil with a victory, a goal and the recognition of a packed Monumental.
The end of an extraordinary international career
The final whistle brought the football to an end, but the most emotional scenes were still to come.
Messi embraced teammates and members of the Benin side before the stadium erupted into another celebration. A drone show illuminated the Buenos Aires sky, while tributes were staged for the man who had become the central figure of Argentine football for more than two decades.
Messi finished his Argentina career as the country’s most-capped player, with 208 appearances, and its record goalscorer with 126 goals. He leaves behind two Copa América titles and the 2022 World Cup the trophy that finally ended years of criticism and debate over his international legacy.
For years, Messi was criticised for failing to reproduce his club success with the national team. After losing the 2014 World Cup final and the 2015 and 2016 Copa América finals, he even briefly announced his international retirement.
The 2021 Copa América victory ended Argentina’s long wait for a major senior trophy. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar elevated Messi’s status to another level, and another Copa América followed in 2024. The player who once faced relentless criticism became the national team’s most celebrated footballing figure.
“I gave everything”
After the match, Messi struggled to contain his emotions.
He spoke about the enormous pride he felt wearing the Argentina shirt for more than 20 years and admitted that not returning to play for the national team would hurt.
His words captured the significance of the moment: playing for Argentina, he said, was the most beautiful thing that could happen to him. He also reflected emotionally on his father, who had recently died.
The farewell was therefore about much more than football.
It was about a boy from Rosario who left Argentina at 13, grew into a global superstar in Barcelona, endured years of international disappointment and criticism, and eventually returned home as a world champion and national hero.
A new Argentina begins
Argentina will now have to learn how to play without the player who has been at the centre of its football identity for so long.
The victory over Benin provided a glimpse of that future. Nico Paz scored, younger players shared the pitch with Messi, and the team demonstrated that there is talent waiting to emerge.
But replacing Messi will be impossible in the traditional sense.
Argentina can replace a player on the team sheet. It cannot simply replace 208 appearances, 126 goals, countless assists, four World Cup final appearances and a relationship with an entire nation built over 21 years.
That is why the final whistle at the Monumental felt less like the end of a match and more like the end of an era. Argentina won 3–0.
