Lionel Messi brought his 21-year international career with Argentina to an emotional close on Tuesday night, scoring once and providing two assists as the world champions defeated Benin 3-0 in Buenos Aires.
The farewell match, played before more than 85,000 spectators at the Monumental Stadium, marked Messi’s final appearance for Argentina after a record-breaking spell with the national team.
Messi was directly involved in all three goals as Argentina produced a convincing performance against a Benin side coached by former Nigeria manager Gernot Rohr.
The 39-year-old set up Nicolás Otamendi for Argentina’s opening goal from a corner in the 48th minute before providing another assist for Nico Paz to double the hosts’ advantage in the 61st minute.
Messi completed the scoring nine minutes later when he converted a penalty in the 71st minute to give Argentina a 3-0 victory.
The result brought an emotional end to Messi’s Argentina career, during which he established himself as the country’s most-capped player and leading goalscorer.
Messi finished his international career with 208 appearances and 126 goals for Argentina, having represented the country for more than two decades.
Speaking after the match, Messi admitted that the occasion was difficult to put into words as he reflected on his long association with the national team.
“It’s hard to talk,” Messi said, describing the occasion as an emotional moment with “a lot of things” going through his mind.
He said representing Argentina for more than 20 years had been a “huge source of pride” and described playing for the national team as “the most beautiful thing that can happen to you”.
The farewell fixture also had a Nigerian connection, with Rohr leading Benin against the Argentine star eight years after facing Messi as Nigeria’s head coach at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Rohr had described the occasion as a great honour for him and his team, while Benin players had insisted before the match that they would approach the fixture competitively rather than simply serve as part of Messi’s farewell celebrations.
Benin goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou had also rejected suggestions that his side would allow Messi to score, saying his responsibility was to stop shots regardless of the circumstances.
Despite Benin’s determination to compete, Messi ultimately had the final say, contributing to every goal as Argentina secured victory in his final international appearance.
The match had been promoted by FIFA as Messi’s farewell appearance for Argentina, with Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia previously describing the event as a deserved send-off for the country’s captain and football icon.
Messi’s retirement from international football closes one of the most remarkable chapters in Argentina’s football history, following years of success that included the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.