Lionel Messi ended his Argentina playing career with a goal in a 3-0 friendly victory over Benin at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on October 6. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) confirmed the result, while The Associated Press described the match before a packed stadium as his final international appearance.
The farewell followed a retirement announcement that the AFA documented on August 31, when Messi was 39. His senior international career began in 2005. The federation listed the 2022 World Cup, the 2021 and 2024 Copa América titles and the 2022 Finalissima among his achievements, alongside another World Cup final appearance in 2026.
According to the AFA match report, Benin held Argentina scoreless throughout the first half before Nicolás Otamendi broke the deadlock after the interval. Nicolás Paz added the second goal and Messi completed the scoring. AP photographs and their captions confirm that the captain scored Argentina’s third goal from the penalty spot.
The federation said the occasion included live music and tributes before, during and after the match. Once the game ended, drones, lights and fireworks formed part of the celebration inside the stadium. Singers Soledad Pastorutti and Ulises Bueno performed in the closing programme, and the evening concluded with a message from Messi.
In comments published by the AFA on October 7, coach Lionel Scaloni said working with Messi had fulfilled a dream and that his departure would leave a remarkable legacy. He described the presence of the captain as something he had never experienced with another player, even as younger footballers take their places in the squad.
Scaloni said Argentina would have to respond through a strong team in which every player contributes. He explained that the side would no longer have Messi’s individual ingenuity to unlock a difficult match, but expressed confidence in what the group can achieve together. His remarks set out a collective approach for the national team’s next chapter.
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