BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Lionel Messi brought his extraordinary international career to an emotional end Tuesday night, scoring once and setting up two goals as Argentina defeated Benin 3-0 in a farewell match that closed one of the most celebrated chapters in football history.
The Lionel Messi retirement became final before more than 85,000 supporters at the Monumental Stadium, where Argentina’s longtime captain made his 207th and last appearance for the national team, according to the Argentine Football Association’s official record.
Messi, 39, finished his Argentina career with a national-record 126 goals after converting a second-half penalty. He also assisted goals by Nicolás Otamendi and Nico Paz, giving supporters one final display of the playmaking and finishing that defined his 21 years with the senior national team.
The night was designed as a national farewell rather than an ordinary international friendly.
Messi was visibly emotional as Argentina prepared for kickoff, while supporters filled the stadium with tributes to the player who helped deliver the country’s first World Cup championship in 36 years in 2022.
The match was briefly paused in the 10th minute as the crowd honored Argentina’s iconic No. 10 with a standing ovation, chants and fireworks.
One Final Master Class Marks Lionel Messi Retirement
After a scoreless first half, Messi helped unlock Benin’s defense after the break.
He provided the delivery for Otamendi to open the scoring, creating a particularly symbolic moment because the veteran defender was also making his final international appearance.
Messi later supplied Paz for Argentina’s second goal before stepping to the penalty spot to score the third himself.
The penalty was Messi’s 126th goal for Argentina and his final goal in international football.
At the final whistle, teammates, opponents and match officials embraced Messi as Argentina celebrated the end of an era. A drone display above the stadium formed part of the post-match tribute.
The farewell extended beyond the Monumental.
In Rosario, Lionel Messi’s hometown, a giant No. 10 shirt bearing a message of thanks was displayed at the National Flag Memorial. Supporters also lined the route as Argentina’s team bus traveled to the stadium, while landmarks in Buenos Aires were illuminated in the national team’s sky blue and white.
Lionel Messi announced his international retirement on Aug. 31, weeks after Argentina’s run to the 2026 World Cup final ended with defeat to Spain.
The October friendly against Benin gave him the opportunity to say goodbye on Argentine soil.
From international frustration to World Cup glory
The Lionel Messi Argentina farewell closed a relationship between player and country that was not always as harmonious as Tuesday night’s celebration suggested.
Messi made his senior Argentina debut in 2005 as a teenager already emerging as one of world football’s most promising talents.
His rise at Barcelona was spectacular, but success with Argentina’s senior team proved more difficult.
For years, Messi faced intense scrutiny at home as Argentina endured painful defeats in major tournaments. The country lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany and then suffered consecutive Copa America final defeats in 2015 and 2016.
Following the 2016 Copa America loss to Chile, Messi briefly announced his retirement from international football before reversing the decision and returning to the national team.
That return eventually transformed his international legacy.
Argentina defeated Brazil at the Maracana in 2021 to win the Copa America, giving Messi his first major senior international championship and ending Argentina’s 28-year wait for a major trophy.
A year later, Argentina defeated Italy 3-0 in the Finalissima at Wembley.
Then came the achievement that had eluded Messi for most of his career.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Messi led Argentina through a dramatic tournament that began with a stunning loss to Saudi Arabia and ended with victory over France in one of the most memorable World Cup finals.
Messi scored twice in the 3-3 final and converted his penalty in the shootout before Gonzalo Montiel scored the decisive kick.
Messi finished that tournament with seven goals and three assists and won the Golden Ball as its best player.
Argentina successfully defended its Copa America title in 2024, further extending a period of international dominance under coach Lionel Scaloni.
Messi leaves Argentina with historic records
The Messi international career ends with numbers that place him among the most accomplished players in the history of the international game.
According to the Argentine Football Association’s official record, his 207 appearances are the most for Argentina. Messi also finished his international career as the country’s all-time leading scorer.
Messi appeared at six World Cups and scored 21 World Cup goals during his career. During his final tournament, Messi broke another World Cup record as Argentina advanced through the competition. He also became the first player to win the World Cup Golden Ball twice.
His list of senior international honors includes the 2021 and 2024 Copa America championships, the 2022 Finalissima and the 2022 World Cup.
Before his senior international career, Messi also helped Argentina win the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship and an Olympic gold medal in 2008.
The records tell only part of the story.
Messi’s international career stretched across different generations of Argentine football and included years in which his performances for the national team were repeatedly measured against both his extraordinary club career and the legacy of Diego Maradona.
By the time Argentina won the World Cup in Qatar, that relationship had fundamentally changed. The player who once faced questions over whether he could reproduce his club success for his country had become the captain of a world championship team and one of Argentina’s most revered sporting figures.
His final World Cup campaign in 2026 offered one last attempt at the game’s biggest prize. Argentina reached the 2026 FIFA World Cup final before losing 1-0 to Spain, denying Messi the opportunity to become a two-time World Cup champion.
It proved to be his final competitive appearance for the national team.
Argentina enters the post-Messi era
The Lionel Messi final Argentina game also forced into view the transition that Scaloni and Argentina must now navigate.
Players such as Paz represent a generation that will inherit greater responsibility as the national team moves forward without the player who occupied its No. 10 role for much of the past two decades.
Messi’s departure from international football does not mean his playing career is over.
He remains a player for Inter Miami, allowing him to continue his club career even as his time in Argentina’s colors comes to an end.
But there will be no seventh World Cup and no further Copa America campaign for Argentina’s record scorer.
On Tuesday, the competitive questions surrounding Messi gave way to something simpler.
After 21 years, 207 appearances, 126 goals, two Copa America championships and the World Cup trophy that had once seemed destined to remain beyond his reach, Argentina finally had the opportunity to say goodbye to its captain on home soil.
Messi left the Monumental as a winner one last time.
