Tuesday marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in football history as Lionel Messi bids farewell to the Argentina national team in a special friendly against Benin at the Monumental Stadium.
The all-time football legend will hand over the captain’s armband and step aside after more than two decades of service.
A legacy without equal
At 39, Messi will depart as his country’s most decorated and influential player ever.
His international career spanned 207 appearances and yielded 125 goals plus 68 assists, records that may never be broken.
He lifted the World Cup trophy in 2022, claimed two Copa América titles, and secured third place in the 2026 tournament.
The decision to step away came in August, shortly after a bittersweet final World Cup defeat to Spain in New Jersey.
“I gave it my all; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are great young players coming up who deserve their chance,” Messi wrote when announcing his international retirement in August.
He remains contracted to Inter Miami through 2028, though the passing of his father and mentor Jorge earlier this year had prompted speculation he might end his national team tenure even sooner.
A stadium full of gratitude
Eighty-five thousand supporters will pack the Monumental to salute their hero.
They will be joined by the entire 2022 World Cup-winning squad and their families, the group that delivered Argentina’s third world title and united a nation.
Familiar faces from that golden era will also return, including Ángel Di María, who retired from international football in 2024.
Many of the players stepping onto the pitch in Tuesday’s match were not yet born when Messi earned his first senior cap in 2005.
Several are barely old enough to remember a time when he was not the team’s heartbeat.
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Scaloni ready for ‘unforgettable’ moment
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni, himself navigating contract extension talks, spoke of the emotion surrounding the occasion.
“It’s going to be an unforgettable day for everyone,” he shared.
He also acknowledged the scale of what lies ahead.
“Collectively, we will try to fill the void left by Leo,” Scaloni explained.
“We will also say goodbye on Tuesday to 38-year-old Nicolás Otamendi,” who may also have played his final match in the blue-and-white stripes.
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Passing the torch
Succession plans are already in place, with defender Cristian Romero set to inherit the captain’s armband – the very one Messi first wore at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez and striker Julián Alvarez stand next in the leadership line.
Midfielders Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso were also called up specifically for the Benin fixture, raising the possibility that neither may feature for the national side again.
“The new generation has already shown what it can do without its captain,” Scaloni observed, “although nobody is pretending replacing a man regarded by many as the greatest footballer in history will be straightforward.”
The next era officially begins Wednesday, when Argentina travels to Córdoba to face Bolivia.
This is the first match of a future without Messi on the field.
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