Lionel Messi Plays His Final Match for Argentina
Lionel Messi has played his final match for Argentina, ending a 21-year international career with a goal and two assists in a 3-0 win over Benin.
Lionel Messi has played his final match for Argentina. The 39-year-old ended his international career on October 6, 2026, at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, with Argentina beating Benin 3-0 in an emotional farewell match. Messi scored the final goal of the game from the penalty spot and provided two assists. It was the final appearance of a 21-year international career that took Messi from his first senior Argentina appearance in 2005 to becoming the country's most-capped player and all-time leading scorer.
Lionel Messi played his final match for Argentina on October 6, 2026, against Benin at the Estadio Monumental. Argentina won 3-0, with Messi scoring once and providing two assists. He finished his Argentina career with 208 appearances and 126 goals, making him the country's record appearance holder and leading scorer.
What happened in Messi's final match for Argentina?
The occasion was designed as a farewell to Argentina's longtime captain.
More than 85,000 supporters packed the Monumental as Messi made his final appearance in the famous blue and white jersey. The match was a friendly against Benin, but the result was secondary to the significance of the night.
The first half ended without a goal.
After the break, Argentina opened the scoring through Nicolás Otamendi, with Messi providing the assist. Messi then set up Nico Paz for the second goal before completing the perfect farewell himself.
In the 71st minute, Messi converted a penalty to make it 3-0.
It was his 126th and final international goal for Argentina.
The final whistle brought emotional scenes as teammates, opponents and supporters celebrated Messi's career. A tribute followed at the stadium, with Messi addressing the crowd and reflecting on what representing Argentina had meant to him.
What did Messi achieve with Argentina?
Messi leaves Argentina with a collection of major international honors that transformed the story of his career with the national team.
He won the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, finally lifting the trophy that had eluded him throughout much of his career.
He also won the Copa América in 2021 and 2024. Those victories came after Argentina had previously lost several major finals during Messi's international career.
His individual records are equally remarkable.
Messi finished with 208 appearances for Argentina, the most in the country's history, and 126 goals, also a national record. His final goal came in his final match, giving him a fitting ending to an international scoring record he had been building for more than two decades.
His Argentina career also included seven Copa América appearances and six major international titles, including the 2022 World Cup and his Copa América victories.
The numbers only tell part of the story.
Messi's relationship with Argentina changed dramatically over the course of his career. Early disappointments were followed by years of success under Lionel Scaloni, eventually turning him into the central figure of one of the most successful periods in Argentine soccer history.
What does Messi's retirement mean for Argentina?
Argentina now faces the challenge of moving forward without the player who has been at the center of its national team for more than 20 years.
Messi's retirement was confirmed before the October farewell match, meaning Argentina knew this would be his final appearance. His departure also leaves a significant gap in the team's attack and leadership.
The national team already has a younger generation coming through, with players such as Nico Paz being discussed as part of Argentina's next era. Paz scored Argentina's second goal in Messi's final match after receiving an assist from Messi himself.
There will be no simple replacement for Messi.
Argentina's next generation will have to establish its own identity while carrying the expectations that come with following a team that has won the World Cup and two Copa América titles during the Messi era.
For supporters, though, October 6 was about closing the book on one of the greatest international careers soccer has ever seen.
Messi leaves Argentina as its record appearance holder, record scorer, World Cup champion and one of the defining figures in the country's sporting history.
His final night could hardly have been more fitting: a packed Monumental, a 3-0 Argentina victory, two assists, one final goal and an emotional farewell to the number 10.