In Bittersweet Night, Lionel Messi Says Goodbye to Argentina’s National Team

One of the world's most renowned soccer players offered an emotional, unforgettable farewell to his fans after winning a friendly match in Buenos Aires. Street artist Claudio Pampillon finishes a chalk portrait of Lionel Messi on the pavement outside the stadium before Messi's final match with the national team, an international friendly against Benin in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) BUENOS AIRES (CN) — Thousands inside the stadium and millions beyond celebrated one of his goals for the last time, creating an echo that reverberated through the night. For over two decades, soccer fans around the world watched the South American nation’s games only to catch a glimpse of him. Now, an era has ended: Lionel Messi waved goodbye to his national team Tuesday night after a friendly match against Benin in Buenos Aires, where his team won 3-0. “Playing here has been the most beautiful thing that’s ever happened to me,” Messi said in tears before 85,000 attendees in the River Plate stadium after the game. “Not being a part anymore will be a huge pain.” Three months ago, Argentina lost the World Cup final to Spain, missing its chance to win a second consecutive cup. The 2022 title win consecrated Messi and his contemporaries — “la Scaloneta,” a name honoring their trainer, Lionel Scaloni — as the leaders of a golden era for the Argentine soccer team. But Messi, 39, had long said his time with the team was near its end. After the loss against Spain and the death of his father, Jorge Messi, his mentor and close aide, he published a letter announcing his decision. “Now I’ll be one more in the crowd, always rooting and cheering,” wrote Messi, who until this week was also the team captain. Fans hold masks depicting Lionel Messi before his final match for Argentina, a soccer friendly against Benin, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) And on Tuesday night, the country seemed to stop to watch him take his last dance on Argentine soil, in a moment both melancholic and euphoric. After two decades of living his dream, Messi’s last goal — a penalty against Benin — was celebrated as much more than a point. It became a final punctuation mark on a career that has come to represent more than goals and trophies. And once the tango was over, surrounded by his teammates and best friends, standing in the middle of the field of the River Plate stadium in Buenos Aires, he spoke to the crowds: “I’m proud to be an Argentine,” he said, “and to have fulfilled my dream with all of you.” Tens of thousands cheered for him one last time. After 20 years and a bittersweet series of last games, including the recent World Cup loss and a win against historical rival England, it was over. Messi, the world’s greatest living player, was no longer a part of the national team. For a generation that grew up watching him wear Argentina’s light blue and white jersey, the farewell marked the end of something larger than a sporting career. “Watching him play was an immense privilege,” said Pedro Amadeo, 33, a fan who followed him from the start. “We’ve got nothing left to ask of him.” Messi was born in Rosario, one of Argentina’s largest cities, but at 13 moved with his family to join Barcelona’s youth academy and receive treatment for a growth hormone deficiency. Five years later, he joined his national team, making his World Cup debut in 2006. His career with Argentina became a long story of extraordinary highs, painful defeats and, eventually, redemption. But Argentina’s affair with Messi would take time. Despite his success in Spain and France, Messi struggled to win over Argentine fans, who compared him with national legend Diego Maradona and expected similar success. To many supporters, his brilliance abroad was not enough; what mattered most was what he could accomplish in the national jersey. Criticism peaked after Argentina lost the World Cup final to Germany in 2014 and, two years lat

Source: Original reporting via Courthouse News Service