Lionel Messi has described his final day with Argentina as one of the saddest moments of his football career, admitting that the prospect of never again wearing the national shirt will be difficult to accept.
The Argentina captain delivered the emotional message after helping his side secure a 3–0 victory over Benin. Messi produced a decisive individual performance, scoring once and providing two assists, before addressing more than 85,000 supporters at the Monumental Stadium in an emotional farewell.
At 39, the playmaker reflected on the significance of his journey with Argentina and the memories that have remained with him throughout the years. He recalled the first match the national side played after winning the World Cup, describing that night as an experience he would never forget.
Messi said he still watches footage from those matches and finds himself becoming emotional. For a player who has spent much of his career at the centre of Argentina’s football identity, leaving the national team represents far more than the end of another chapter.
His international career has been defined by both disappointment and extraordinary success. Messi endured painful defeats in major finals before eventually helping Argentina win the Copa América in 2021. That triumph was followed by the crowning achievement of his international career when Argentina won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The World Cup triumph fulfilled a dream that had followed Messi for much of his career. It also transformed the way his international legacy was viewed, with the forward finally lifting football’s biggest prize with his country after years of intense pressure and scrutiny.
Speaking at the Monumental, Messi also offered his support to those who will represent Argentina in the future. He said he would continue to back the national team from the stands and stressed the importance of unity within the squad and around the country.
“When we are united, we are much stronger than anyone else,” Messi said, underlining the collective spirit that has become central to Argentina’s recent success.
The emotional tone of his farewell was evident when Messi admitted that he did not want to leave either the national team or the football pitch. He expressed his love for the supporters and acknowledged that he would miss them deeply.
For Messi, representing Argentina has always carried a meaning beyond football. He spoke with pride about being an Argentine and about having achieved the dream he had carried since childhood.
His departure therefore marks the closing of an extraordinary international chapter. From early struggles and painful defeats to Copa América glory and World Cup triumph, Messi’s Argentina career has mirrored the emotional highs and lows of elite sport.
As he prepares to step away, his message was not only one of farewell but also of gratitude. The affection between Messi and Argentina’s supporters has been built over decades, and his final appearance offered a powerful reminder of how deeply that relationship has shaped both the player and the nation he represented.
