Messi Set for Final Argentina Appearance as Legendary International Career Ends

Lionel Messi is preparing for an emotional farewell to Argentina on Tuesday as the football legend gets set to make his final appearance for the national team against Benin at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.

The 39-year-old is expected to receive a hero’s sendoff from around 85,000 supporters at the stadium, with millions of fans worldwide also expected to watch the final chapter of his 21-year international career.

Messi, Argentina’s most-capped player, is bringing his international journey to an end two-and-a-half months after the team’s defeat to Spain in the World Cup final.

When announcing his retirement from international football in August, Messi said: “I gave it my all; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are great young players coming up who deserve their chance.”

The Argentine captain held his final training session with the national team on Monday at the squad’s training complex in Ezeiza.

“You can’t ask for more, that’s it,” said Nahuel Nieva, a retail worker who took the day off to watch Messi train.

Although Messi remains contracted to Inter Miami until 2028, the forward recently suggested that his playing career could end sooner than expected following the death of his father, Jorge, two months ago.

New generation ready to take over

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni now faces the challenge of rebuilding the national team without its iconic captain.

Several players who shared Argentina’s greatest moments with Messi are expected to take leading roles, including Cristian “Cuti” Romero, who will take over the captaincy, as well as Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez.

Scaloni has admitted that Messi’s departure will leave a “void”, although the country’s emerging talents have already provided reasons for optimism.

Argentina defeated Bolivia 4-0 in Cordoba last Wednesday before producing an emphatic 7-0 victory over Burkina Faso at the Monumental on Saturday.

Youngsters Franco Mastantuono and Gianluca Prestianni both scored their first international goals in the rout, highlighting the depth of talent available to Scaloni.

Those performances have helped restore confidence after Argentina’s disappointing World Cup final defeat, in which Spain dominated the contest while Messi appeared visibly fatigued.

A record-breaking Argentina career

Messi leaves the national team as Argentina’s record appearance-holder and all-time leading scorer, having scored 125 goals in 207 appearances. He also holds the national record for assists, with 68.

His greatest achievement came in Qatar in 2022, when he guided Argentina to World Cup glory and ended the country’s 36-year wait for the trophy.

The triumph also cemented his status as the natural successor to Diego Maradona in the hearts of Argentine supporters.

Messi also helped Argentina win the 2005 World Youth Championship, the 2008 Olympic football title, Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024, and the 2022 Finalissima.

However, his international career also featured heartbreak, including defeats to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final, Spain in this year’s final and Chile in the 2016 Copa America final.

As Messi prepares to say goodbye, one final question remains: who will inherit Argentina’s legendary number 10 shirt?

“Until Leo’s game, we won’t give the number 10 to anyone,” Scaloni said. “After that, we’ll see.”

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