Lionel Messi ended his 21-year Argentina career on Tuesday with a goal, two assists and a 3-0 win over Benin. ESPN reported that Messi’s last game for Argentina, a friendly at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, was his 208th international appearance. His penalty was his 126th goal for his country.
The 39-year-old announced his international retirement in the weeks after Argentina’s 1-0 World Cup final loss to Spain in July. The Argentine Football Association then invited him back for what ESPN called “the farewell he deserves.”
How Messi’s last game for Argentina unfolded
The first half ended goalless, and ESPN noted that Messi snatched at a few early chances. Nicolás Otamendi opened the scoring in the 48th minute with a header from a Messi corner.
Nico Paz then curled a second goal into the net from another Messi pass. Messi added the third from the penalty spot in the 71st minute, sending a left-footed shot into the roof of the net.
Play paused in the 10th minute while the stadium applauded him. Benin players took turns shaking his hand, according to ESPN.
After the final whistle, a drone show lit the sky above the Monumental with images from his career. One showed him holding the World Cup trophy in Qatar in 2022.
| Match detail | Messi’s farewell |
|---|---|
| Date and venue | October 6, 2026, Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires |
| Result | Argentina 3, Benin 0 (international friendly) |
| Scorers | Nicolás Otamendi (48th minute), Nico Paz, Lionel Messi (71st minute, penalty) |
| Messi’s contribution | 1 goal and 2 assists |
| Messi’s final Argentina totals | 208 appearances and 126 goals |
Tears before kickoff, words after the whistle
The emotion started long before kickoff. ESPN pictured Messi in tears on the team bus as it passed fans lining the route.
He and coach Lionel Scaloni both cried during the Argentine anthem. Messi stood in the lineup with his sons Thiago, Mateo and Ciro.
At the final whistle, Messi addressed the crowd. He said he would “love to keep coming back forever” because playing for Argentina is “the most beautiful thing that can happen to you.”
Then he reached the hardest part. “Now, inevitably, I face the saddest day of my career: saying goodbye to the national team,” Messi said.
Messi said he was thinking of his father, Jorge, most. Jorge Messi, who also served as his son’s agent, died in August at age 68, according to the Associated Press.
ESPN reported that players from Argentina’s 1978, 1986 and 2022 World Cup squads joined the tribute with their families. More than 85,000 tickets sold out in 90 minutes.
The Monumental suited the night. ESPN noted that Messi scored 19 international goals there, more than at any other ground.
What Messi leaves behind
Messi finishes as Argentina’s leading scorer and appearance holder. Only Cristiano Ronaldo has more men’s international goals and games, with 146 in 234 for Portugal, according to ESPN.
Both players appeared in a record-tying six World Cups. Messi scored 21 goals across those tournaments.
He won the 2022 World Cup and the Copa América in 2021 and 2024. His final World Cup this summer produced eight goals and four assists, ESPN reported.
Club football continues for him at Inter Miami. ESPN said the club recently won the Campeones Cup, his fourth trophy with the MLS team.
ESPN also reported that Messi has re-entered the Ballon d’Or conversation, alongside Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé. He remains the only player to win the award eight times.
Scaloni said Argentina can build a strong squad around its new players. “That presence he creates won’t be there anymore,” Scaloni said.
“We’ll look for new ways forward, but that feeling will be gone,” he added.
