Lionel Messi ended his Argentina career with a goal and two assists as Argentina beat Benin 3-0 at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. Nicolás Otamendi and Nico Paz scored from his creativity before Messi converted a penalty in his 208th and final international appearance.
Buenos Aires, Argentina: Some farewells are written in tears. This one was written in assists. In the stadium where Argentina have celebrated so much of their football, Messi spent his final international night doing what he has done for two decades: making the people around him better, then scoring himself.
A night built for one man
The occasion, announced by the Argentine federation weeks earlier, was designed as the send-off Messi deserved on home soil. The 39-year-old wore a specially designed commemorative jersey, and in the tenth minute, a nod to his famous number, play was paused so the Monumental could applaud him. A drone show lit up the sky above the stadium in his honour.
It came after Messi announced his retirement from the national team in late August, a decision his farewell letter explained. His last competitive match had been a 1-0 loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, a defeat that denied him a second successive title. This friendly was the ending that final could not give him.
Messi sets up the first two
The opening goal arrived three minutes after the interval. Messi swung in a corner and Nicolás Otamendi powered a header home in the 48th minute to put Argentina in front.
The second again came through the captain. Messi created for Nico Paz, who scored in the 61st minute to make it 2-0 and give the farewell a comfortable shape.
The final goal
Then it was Messi’s turn. Argentina were awarded a penalty, and Messi stepped up and scored it in the 71st minute for the third goal. Benin never found a way back. Afterwards, Messi told supporters he loves them and will miss them, and described international football as the most beautiful thing that can happen to a player.
The numbers behind the farewell
Messi finished with 126 goals in 208 appearances for Argentina. He leaves as the country’s most-capped player and its record scorer, and only Cristiano Ronaldo, with 146 for Portugal, has scored more goals in men’s international football. Messi’s 11 international hat-tricks are the most in men’s international football, according to match reports.
He made his debut in August 2005 against Hungary, a match that ended for him with a red card inside a minute. The honours that followed were extensive: the 2005 Under-20 World Cup, Olympic gold in 2008, the Copa América in 2021 and 2024, the 2022 Finalissima and, above all, the 2022 World Cup, which he won as captain.
At World Cups he played in six tournaments, scored 21 goals, and won the Golden Ball in both 2014 and 2022. For Messi, who goes on playing at club level with Inter Miami, the evening closed an international story that began two decades ago and ended exactly as the Buenos Aires crowd had hoped: with him at the heart of the goals.
Result: Argentina 3 (Otamendi 48′, Paz 61′, Messi 71′ pen.) Benin 0 — international friendly, Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires. Messi: one goal, two assists in his 208th and final cap. Argentina career: 208 appearances, 126 goals.
