Lionel Messi goes out a legend in Argentina farewell

Lionel Messi had an Argentina farewell worthy of the GOAT.

Inter Miami CF's superstar No. 10 scored a goal and added two assists in his final appearance for La Albiceleste, an emotional 3-0 international friendly win over Benin on Tuesday night. 

With a final Man of the Match performance for Argentina, Messi ended his international career with 126g/69a in 208 matches.

Hero's farewell

A sold-out Estadio Monumental pulled out all the stops for Messi, displaying a massive No. 10 Argentina jersey at midfield. Shortly after play began, the game was halted in the 10th minute as fans, teammates and opponents alike gave the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner a standing ovation. 

Messi then served up assists for Nicolás Otamendi (48') and Nico Paz (61') before rounding it off with a 71st-minute penalty kick. 

A special drone light show lit up the sky following the final whistle as fans serenaded their departing hero with the iconic "Messi, Messi, Messi" chant one last time. 

"Honestly, it's hard to say anything today. There's a lot of emotion, many things," Messi addressed supporters before remembering his late father, Jorge. "Obviously, the first thing I think about is my dad. 

"There's nothing more to do than say thanks, like I did in my farewell letter. It was a huge honor to defend this jersey for over 20 years. Even in the worst of times, which we went through and which I've had, I never stopped fighting or giving my all or wanting to be here.

"To not come back will be very painful for me. I swear to you that I'd love to be here my whole life. To play for the Argentina national team is the most beautiful thing that can happen to someone."

Argentina legend

Messi officially closed the chapter on his international career as arguably the greatest player in Argentina history, with only the late Diego Armando Maradona considered in the same class. 

Statistically speaking, however, Messi has no equal. His 126 goals, 69 assists and 208 caps are all national team records, while he ranks top-four all-time in caps, top-two in goals, and No. 1 in assists across international soccer. 

Messi secured his status as a national hero at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, leading Argentina to their third title with 7g/3a across a legendary Golden Ball-winning campaign. He also won back-to-back Copa América titles (2021, 24) with La Albiceleste, as well as the 2022 Finalissima. 

This summer, Messi broke numerous tournament records while producing 8g/4a en route to the 2026 World Cup final. He is the only player in history to win two World Cup Golden Ball awards (2014, '22) and the only player to start three World Cup finals (2014, '22, '26).

"Thank you to my teammates for helping me make my childhood dreams come true: World Cup champions, champions of America, Finalissima, everything that we played for. It was a huge honor for me to share with them both on and off the field. 

"... I'm honestly speaking more than I ever have. The truth is I don't want to leave. I don't want to leave the field. I just want to say that I love you, I'm going to miss you and I'm thankful to God for making me Argentine. I'm proud to be Argentine and to have made the dream come true with all of you. 

"Thank you very much. I love you."