Lionel Messi will wear Argentina’s blue-and-white jersey for the last time on Tuesday. He will have an emotional goodbye in front of his loving fans at the Monumental Stadium.
About 85,000 Argentina fans will watch the 39-year-old star show his skills in a friendly match against Benin. This game marks the end of his 21-year international career.
Millions more will follow the match on TV from South America’s biggest stadium, Buenos Aires’ Estadio Monumental.
Messi, the player with the most caps in Argentine history, is retiring just two and a half months after losing the World Cup final to Spain.
“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 he announced his retirement in August.
On Monday, he had his last training session with the team at the training complex named after him in Ezeiza, a suburb of Buenos Aires.
“You can’t ask for more, that’s it,” said Nahuel Nieva, a retail worker who took the day off work to see his hero train.
Messi's contract with Inter Miami lasts until 2028. But after his father Jorge passed away two months ago, he hinted he might retire for good sooner than expected.
No effort has been spared for the farewell of a player who many consider one of the greatest ever.
Several teammates who helped Messi reach the peak of football in Qatar will also play in the game. This includes defender Cristian “Cuti” Romero, midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez, and forwards Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez.
After the match, the captain’s armband will go to Romero.
Coach Lionel Scaloni said he will try to fill the “void” left by Messi. The signs from the next generation, some of whom weren’t born when Messi first played for the team in 2005, look promising.
In their first games since the World Cup final last week, without Messi, Argentina crushed Bolivia 4-0 in a friendly in Cordoba. They also played well against Burkina Faso on Saturday at Monumental stadium.
Franco Mastantuono and Gianluca Prestianni, two of Argentina’s bright new talents, both scored their first international goals against Burkina Faso in a 7-0 win.
These results helped lift the sadness after the World Cup final when Argentina and a tired Messi were outplayed by Spain, leading to some players facing bans and fines for rough play.
Messi is not just Argentina’s record appearance-maker. He is also the top scorer with 125 goals in 207 games and has a record 68 assists.
“La Pulga” (The Flea) won the lasting gratitude of Argentines when he ended their 36-year World Cup drought in Qatar in 2022.
During his time with the Albiceleste, Argentina also won the 2005 World Youth Championship, 2008 under-23 Olympic gold, and the Copa America in 2021 and 2024. They also claimed the 2022 Finalissima, a match between the champions of South America and Europe.
But there were tears too. Argentina lost to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil, to Spain in this year’s final, and suffered a shock defeat to Chile in the 2016 Copa America final.
One question remains: who will take Messi’s famous number 10 jersey?
“Until Leo’s game, we won’t give the number 10 to anyone,” Scaloni said. “After that, we’ll see.”
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