Lionel Messi will bring his extraordinary Argentina career to an emotional close on Tuesday when he makes his final appearance for the national team against Benin at Buenos Aires’ Monumental Stadium.
The 39-year-old, widely regarded as one of football’s greatest players, will say goodbye after more than two decades in the famous sky-blue and white shirt.
Messi’s farewell comes after a remarkable international journey that eventually delivered the trophies he had spent years chasing. He endured painful defeats in major finals before leading Argentina to Copa América glory in 2021 and 2024 and World Cup success in 2022.
His international career has also produced extraordinary numbers. Messi is Argentina’s record appearance-maker and leading scorer, with 207 caps and 125 goals heading into his farewell appearance.
For years, the forward faced questions over whether he could win a major international title with Argentina. Those doubts were eventually erased in Qatar, where he captained the nation to its first World Cup triumph since 1986.
The 2026 World Cup final defeat to Spain proved to be his final competitive international match, after which Messi confirmed his decision to retire from national-team football.
His departure now signals the beginning of a new era for Argentina, with younger players expected to assume greater responsibility under coach Lionel Scaloni.
Messi will remain involved in club football with Inter Miami, but his final appearance for Argentina will mark the end of an era that transformed the nation’s football history.
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