For 21 years, the No. 10 shirt of Argentina belonged to one man. On Tuesday night in Buenos Aires, Lionel Messi wore it for the last time, and he signed off the only way he knows how: with a goal.
In an emotional Messi farewell match at the Estadio Monumental, Argentina beat Benin 3-0. Messi set up the first two goals and scored the third from the penalty spot, bringing the curtain down on one of the greatest international careers football has ever seen.
Here is how the night unfolded, the numbers behind his Argentina career, and what comes next.
Representative image of a floodlit stadium on match night. Photo: Unsplash
Argentina vs Benin: How the Farewell Unfolded
The match was billed as Messi's "last tango," and the football was always going to be secondary. More than 85,000 fans packed the Monumental. According to Outlook India, tickets sold out within 90 minutes of the Argentine Football Association announcing the game.
Before kick-off, a giant Argentina shirt was laid out on the pitch. It carried the famous No. 10, but instead of his name it read a single word: "Gracias."
The goals
- 48th minute: Benin failed to clear a Messi corner, and veteran defender Nicolas Otamendi headed home. It was Otamendi's own 140th and final appearance for Argentina.
- Second goal: Messi helped set up Nico Paz, who curled a fine finish from the edge of the box.
- 71st minute: Agustin Giay was brought down in the area. Messi stepped up and smashed the penalty into the roof of the net. Goal number 126, his last for his country.
Messi played all 90 minutes of his 208th and final international appearance. Argentina's first half was played at close to testimonial pace, with teammates clearly working to create one more Messi goal. He came close three times before the breakthrough finally arrived.
The moments fans will remember
- Messi appeared to be in tears as the team bus moved through crowds lining the streets to the stadium.
- His sons Thiago, Mateo and Ciro joined him on the pitch, while his wife Antonela and mother Celia watched from the stands.
- Coach Lionel Scaloni struggled with his emotions during the national anthem.
- In the 10th minute, play stopped as the whole stadium rose to applaud, and Benin's players lined up to shake his hand.
- Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez had an "M" shaved into his haircut in honor of his captain.
- In Rosario, Messi's hometown, a giant No. 10 jersey was flown across the sky by helicopter.
After the final whistle, even Benin's players gathered around Messi, with some trying to grab a selfie with him on the pitch.
Why Messi Is Retiring From Argentina Now
Messi announced his international retirement in the weeks after the 2026 World Cup. Argentina reached the final in New Jersey but lost 1-0 to Spain, falling one game short of defending the title they won in Qatar in 2022.
The Argentine Football Association then persuaded him to play one last match at home, giving him what it called "the farewell he deserves."
This is not the first time Messi has stepped away. He briefly quit international football in 2016 after a Copa America final defeat, then returned to lead the most successful period of his Argentina career.
Messi's Argentina Career in Numbers
The statistics are staggering. Messi leaves as Argentina's most-capped player and all-time leading scorer.
- 208 appearances for Argentina
- 126 goals, second only to Cristiano Ronaldo (146) in men's international football
- Around 70 international assists, widely reported as an all-time record (counts vary slightly by source)
- 11 hat-tricks for his country
- 6 World Cups played, matching Ronaldo's record, with 21 World Cup goals
It all began on August 17, 2005, with one of the strangest debuts in football history. A teenage Messi came on against Hungary and was sent off after about 90 seconds.
Messi played 208 matches for Argentina across 21 years. Photo: Unsplash
Trophies with Argentina
- FIFA World Cup: 2022 (Qatar)
- Copa America: 2021 and 2024
- Finalissima: 2022
- Olympic gold: Beijing 2008
Individual honors at major tournaments
- World Cup Golden Ball in 2014 and 2022
- World Cup Silver Ball in 2026, after scoring eight goals with four assists
- Copa America Golden Ball in 2015 and 2021, plus the 2021 Golden Boot
What Messi's Farewell Means for Argentina
The end of an era, not just one player
Otamendi also bowed out on the same night, and other members of the 2022 World Cup-winning core are in their mid-30s. Argentina is entering a real transition, and Scaloni now has to build a team that does not run through Messi for the first time in two decades.
The next generation steps up
It felt fitting that Nico Paz scored on the night. Young players like him will now carry the attack. The pressure on whoever inherits the No. 10 shirt will be enormous, and that debate has already started among fans.
Messi is not done with football
Only his Argentina chapter is over. Messi remains at Inter Miami in MLS and recently won the Campeones Cup, his fourth trophy with the club. Fans around the world will still get to watch him play at club level.
More than 85,000 fans packed the Monumental for the farewell. Photo: Unsplash
Tributes From Around the Football World
The farewell drew messages from across the sport. Former Barcelona teammate Ronaldinho paid tribute, and Neymar, who played alongside Messi at both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, thanked him for making him love football even more.
Off the pitch, Messi received an honorary doctorate from the University of Buenos Aires in the days before the match. Players from Argentina's 1978, 1986 and 2022 World Cup-winning squads also joined the celebrations at the stadium.
The Bottom Line
The Lionel Messi retirement from international football closes a story that had everything: a red card on debut, painful final defeats, a brief walkout, and then a World Cup, two Copa Americas and a place among the very best ever to play the game.
On his final night in the blue and white stripes, he gave Argentina one more goal, one more win and one more memory.
What is your favorite Messi moment for Argentina? Share it in the comments below, and follow this blog for more sports news and updates.
Sources: Outlook India match report and career statistics, published October 7, 2026. Figures reflect reporting at the time of writing.
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