Messi scores in farewell as Argentina beat Benin
Lionel Messi concluded his international football career with a goal in a 3-0 victory for Argentina against Benin. The match served as a celebratory farewell for the 39-year-old legend and several of his long-time teammates.
Why it matters
Messi is widely considered one of the greatest athletes in history, and his retirement marks the end of a significant era in global sports.
Lionel Messi enjoyed a fairy tale farewell as he scored on his last appearance for Argentina in a 3-0 win over Benin in Buenos Aires. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who announced his retirement from international football after defeat in the World Cup final, was invited to participate in the friendly to celebrate his career, with all his teammates from Argentina’s triumphant 2022 World Cup squad invited. The 39-year-old ends his international career with 208 senior caps, the most of any player in the team’s history, with his 126 goals for Argentina also a record. He is the only player to start three World Cup finals. Messi had been threatened to be upstaged by another departing Argentina player, 38-year-old centre-back Nicolás Otamendi, when the latter opened the scoring shortly after half-time, with Nico Paz adding a second.
Also covering this story
18 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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