Lionel Messi don tok say e dey grateful, proud and at peace after e Argentina career end with goal against Benin on one emotional night for Buenos Aires.
Di 39-year-old play im 208th and final international game. E convert second-half penalty and give two assists as Argentina win 3-0 for friendly. Messi announce im international retirement for August. Na im first game for Argentina since im father, Jorge, die at 68 after long illness.
After match, e address crowd with speech wey last nearly 10 minutes. Some teammates, including Manchester City midfielder Enzo Fernandez, cry as Messi admit say e no want leave field. ‘There are so many emotions going through me right now,’ e tok. ‘I’m surely forgetting many things I would like to say because this is a very difficult moment for me. The first person who comes to my mind is my dad. I leave grateful, proud and at peace. Thank you for everything.’
Messi play full 90 minutes before 85,000 sell-out crowd inside Monumental. Di fans see laser light show, live music and presentations. When e announce retirement in August, Messi say di decision ‘hurt’ but ‘the time has come’. Di eight-time Ballon d'Or winner say e write im retirement message on 21 July, two days after Argentina lose to Spain for dis summer World Cup final.
Messi debut for Argentina in 2005 as 63rd-minute substitute for 2-1 friendly win over Hungary. But dem show am straight red less than one minute later after e swing arm and elbow connect with full-back Vilmos Vanczak. Despite tough start, Messi become one of all-time greats, win World Cup and two Copa America titles with Argentina. E be second-highest goalscorer in World Cup history with 21, behind France Kylian Mbappe (22), and second for goals in all internationals (126) behind im rival, Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo (146).
‘I have nothing left to do but thank this shirt,’ Messi continue. ‘For 20 years, even through the worst moments, I never stopped fighting, pushing forward, giving everything I had and wanting to be here. Not coming here any more and no longer being with the Argentina national team is going to hurt a lot. If it were up to me, I would love to be here for my entire life, because playing for Argentina is the most beautiful thing there is. I think I’m talking more than ever today because I simply don’t want this moment to end. But I think the time has come for me to retire. The last World Cup took a lot out of us after everything we went through. We arrived in the final with just enough left in us, but we fought until the very end, like we always did. We came very close to winning it again, and despite everything that was said about us, nothing strange happened. The match against England took a lot out of us because we gave absolutely everything. In 2022, we had the dream of fulfilling not only my dream, but the dream of an entire country: becoming world champions again. And we did it.’
Messi career go continue for club level with Major League Soccer team Inter Miami. Im contract run to end of 2028 season. On night of celebrations from start to finish for Argentine capital, Messi often visible moved by occasion. Former Barcelona and Paris St-Germain forward filmed wiping tears on coach journey to ground and again appear overcome by emotion during rousing rendition of national anthem. Before kick-off, spectacular firework display greet players onto pitch, while giant Argentina shirt bearing Messi iconic number 10 and word ‘gracias’ (thank you) sprawled across field. Ten minutes into game, play stop for yet more fireworks, another standing ovation for Messi and handshakes from every Benin player. Once fanfare subsided, Messi typically at heart of everything going forward for Argentina, see two free-kicks well saved, twice miss glorious chances from inside six-yard box and then hit post in closing stages.
‘It’s been a dream come true. I never thought I’d be the coach of the best footballer in history,’ Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni tok after game. ‘We are eternally grateful to him for giving us the opportunity to be with him. The tears are because so many things are going through my head. Not seeing him any more will be sad. He leaves us with an incredible legacy. The feeling of having him on your side is incomparable. I’ve never seen that aura in anyone else in my life.’
Brazil forward and Messi former Barcelona and Paris St-Germain teammate Neymar write for X: ‘It’s not just Argentina that thanks you, the world thanks you for everything you did for football. Thank you for making me love football even more, it was an honour to have played against you and even more so to make history by your side.’ Rodrigo De Paul, Messi close friend and teammate for both international and club level, tok say: ‘He made me grow not only as a footballer, but also as a person. I became a better person, a better human being, a better athlete, a better father and a better friend. I want to tell him that I love him. He knows that he is my brother and that he has an enormous heart.’ Ex-Argentina teammate Angel di Maria tok: ‘Seeing him with so much happiness, and that tranquillity of knowing that he gave everything he had, is what makes us all happy. I thank him for life.’
Cristiano Ronaldo want pay tribute to Messi on Wednesday, after Argentine star announce end of im journey with national team. Their rivalry never get in way of mutual respect, Ronaldo insist. Commenting on Messi farewell post for Argentine national team on Instagram, Ronaldo write: ‘Leo, so many years defending your country, and a story that will last forever. All my respect for what you achieved with Argentina. A hug.’
Ronaldo and Messi share one of most famous individual rivalries in football history, forged above all during their years in La Liga with Real Madrid and Barcelona. Across their careers, Messi and Ronaldo meet for 37 matches, 36 of them official and one friendly wey pit a team of Saudi League stars against Paris Saint-Germain, according to statistics from Spanish newspaper Marca. Paris Saint-Germain win that friendly 5-4, Ronaldo score twice and Messi once. For official meetings, Ronaldo score 21 goals to Messi 22. Messi come out on top in 16 matches, Ronaldo in 11, with 9 meetings ending in draw. Those official meetings break down into 18 matches in La Liga, 6 in Champions League, 5 in Copa del Rey and 5 in Spanish Super Cup, plus two friendlies at national team level.
