Emotional Lionel Messi ends Argentina career in perfectly scripted finale against Benin
Lionel Messi concluded his 21-year international football career with an emotional final match for Argentina against Benin. The 39-year-old scored his 126th international goal in a 3-0 victory, marking the end of an era for the sport.
Why it matters
Messi is widely considered one of the greatest athletes in history, and his retirement marks a significant cultural milestone in global sports.
Lionel Messi brought the curtain down on his 21-year international career on Tuesday, bidding farewell to adoring Argentina fans in an emotional final appearance for the former world champions in Buenos Aires.
In a perfectly scripted finale, the 39-year-old widely regarded as the greatest football player in history signed off with his 126th international goal in front of 85,000 supporters as Argentina cruised to a 3-0 victory over Benin.
Messi, playing in his record-extending 208th international, also provided the assist for the opening goal scored by veteran Nicolás Otamendi, with Nico Paz also scoring.
But the match was a footnote to the occasion itself, which saw Messi savoring the adulation of the Monumental Stadium crowd one last time for an event which had been billed as The Last Tango.
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