Argentina beat Benin 3-0 at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on Tuesday night in Lionel Messi’s final match for the national team, bringing more than two decades of international football to an end.
Starting and wearing the captain’s armband, Messi was involved in all three of Argentina’s goals, providing assists for Nicolás Otamendi in the 48th minute and Nicolás Paz in the 61st, before converting a penalty in the 71st minute.
At 39, the forward made his 208th international appearance and scored his 126th goal for Argentina, both national team records.
The match brought to an end an international career that began in 2005. Over more than 21 years, Messi won the 2022 World Cup, the 2021 and 2024 Copa América titles and the 2022 Finalissima.
An exceptional record
On an individual level, Lionel Messi has won eight Ballon d’Ors, which recognise the best player of the year, as well as numerous other honours throughout his career.
Born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Messi began his professional career at FC Barcelona, where he established himself as one of the club’s leading figures before moving to Paris Saint-Germain and then Inter Miami.
With the Catalan club, he won several Spanish league titles and four UEFA Champions League titles.
He also won the French league title with PSG before continuing his career in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami.
With Argentina, his career was long marked by several lost finals before his first major international success in 2021 by winning the Copa América that year, followed by the Finalissima and the World Cup in 2022, before adding a second Copa América title in 2024.
After the final whistle at the Monumental, Messi saluted the supporters before leaving the pitch, officially bringing his international career to an end.
His international record stands at 208 appearances and 126 goals, making him Argentina’s most-capped player and all-time leading goalscorer.
SS/te/lb/as/APA