There comes a moment when even football’s greatest figures must finally step away. For Lionel Messi, that moment has arrived. The Argentina captain is set to wear the famous sky-blue and white shirt for the final time, bringing an extraordinary 21-year international journey to an emotional close against Benin at the Monumental in Buenos Aires.
Hours before the farewell match, Messi broke his silence with a heartfelt message to the people of Argentina. Reflecting on his long association with the national team, he said he was leaving with peace of mind after giving everything he could for the country.
The match is scheduled to begin at 5am Bangladesh time on Wednesday. Ahead of the fixture, Messi appeared in a video released by sportswear manufacturer Adidas, where he spoke about what the Argentina shirt has meant to him throughout his career.
“The time has come. This shirt was my dream, my pride, my life. This shirt was my life. Thank you for loving me so much. I will miss you very much,” Messi said.
His words carry particular weight after more than two decades in Argentina colours. Messi made his senior international debut 21 years ago and has since established himself as the most productive player in the history of the national team.
He has made 207 appearances for Argentina, scored 125 goals and provided 66 assists. He stands at the top of the country’s all-time lists for appearances, goals and assists, underlining the extraordinary consistency of his contribution over such a long period.
Yet Messi’s influence cannot be measured by statistics alone. His international career has included some of the most dramatic chapters in modern football, from painful defeats and criticism to major tournament triumphs.
At the World Cup, Messi has made more appearances for Argentina than any other player. He is also one of only three players in history to have featured at six World Cup tournaments.
His World Cup journey began in Germany in 2006, followed by appearances in South Africa in 2010, Brazil in 2014, Russia in 2018, Qatar in 2022 and the 2026 tournament hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
He reached the World Cup final with Argentina in 2014 but suffered defeat. Eight years later, in Qatar, he finally lifted the trophy that had eluded him for much of his career. In 2026, he reached another World Cup final, adding yet another remarkable chapter to his international record.
Messi has scored 21 goals at the World Cup. Only France forward Kylian Mbappe, with 22, is ahead of him on the tournament’s all-time scoring list.
His achievements with Argentina extend well beyond the World Cup. He won the Copa America in 2021 and 2024, followed by the Finalissima in 2022. Earlier in his international career, he also helped Argentina win Olympic gold in 2008 and the Under-20 World Cup in 2005.
For years, however, success with the senior national side appeared to remain just beyond his reach. Messi endured repeated final defeats and intense scrutiny, with questions raised about whether his club achievements could ever be matched in Argentina colours.
That narrative changed dramatically after the 2021 Copa America triumph. The victory ended a long wait for a major senior international trophy and opened the way for further success. Argentina then won the Finalissima in 2022 before Messi led the side to World Cup glory in Qatar later that year. Another Copa America title followed in 2024.
His final appearance at the Monumental is therefore expected to be much more than an ordinary friendly. The occasion is being shaped as a celebration of Messi’s extraordinary relationship with Argentine football, with events planned before and after the match. Several members of the 2022 World Cup-winning squad are also expected to be present.
For supporters inside the Monumental and millions watching elsewhere, the occasion will mark the end of an era. Messi’s 21 years in the sky-blue and white have contained disappointment, criticism, heartbreak, remarkable comebacks and historic triumphs.
His departure from international football is not simply the farewell of a player. It represents the closing chapter of a story that has been intertwined with Argentina’s hopes for more than two decades.
The shirt Messi once described as his dream, his pride and his life will soon be worn for the final time. After that, the memories will remain: the goals, the assists, the celebrations, the defeats, the tears and, above all, the World Cup triumph that completed one of football’s most extraordinary international journeys.
