Lionel Messi’s final appearance for Argentina is far more than another football match. When the 39-year-old walks out against Benin at Buenos Aires’ Monumental Stadium, he will close a more-than-two-decade international career that began with doubts and ends with Argentina saying a simple word, thank you.
Around 85,000 tickets were sold in under two hours, underlining the scale of the farewell.
🚨 LEO MESSI CRYING IN THE BUS 😭 https://t.co/4VAObDR2Nw
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) October 6, 2026
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The complicated Argentina-Messi relationship
The emotion around the occasion comes from the unusual relationship Messi has had with his own country.
For years, his achievements at Barcelona did not translate into the same level of affection in Argentina. He had left Rosario for Barcelona as a teenager and spent much of his development in Spain.
That created a sense among some Argentine fans that he was distant from the national team. Critics also questioned whether he could deliver Argentina the major international trophy they wanted.
The period was a difficult beginning to what eventually became one of football’s most enduring player-country relationships.
It changed sharply after Messi briefly retired from international football following Argentina’s defeat by Chile in the 2016 Copa América final. Instead of turning on him, many Argentines wanted him back.
His return under Lionel Scaloni coincided with the most successful period of his international career. Argentina won the Copa América, then the 2022 World Cup, and reached another World Cup final in 2026.
The victories changed the old argument about Messi’s commitment. He was no longer simply a superstar who played for Argentina. He had become the leader who finally delivered its biggest prizes.
The farewell as a national event
That is why the farewell has taken on the feel of a national event. Messi enters his final Argentina game as the country’s most-capped player and leading scorer, with 125 goals in 207 appearances and a record 68 assists.
Buenos Aires has also prepared tributes around the occasion, while Messi was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Buenos Aires before the match.
Coach Scaloni said it would be “an unforgettable day for everyone.”
The wider football world react
The reaction has also extended well beyond Argentina. Former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain teammate Neymar paid tribute to Messi before the farewell, stressing that the occasion belongs to football as much as it does to Argentina.
“It is not only Argentina who thanks you, but the whole world is grateful to you for everything you have done for football,” Neymar said, adding that it had been an honor to play against Messi and, even more, to make history alongside him.
The two played together at Barcelona from 2013 to 2017 and later reunited at Paris Saint-Germain from 2021 to 2023.
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And so, the curtain finally falls
Messi’s farewell is also the closing of a complicated chapter. The player once compared unfavorably with Diego Maradona is now being celebrated on his own terms.
He has left the national team with the trophies that once seemed beyond reach and with a bond that took years to build.
His club career with Inter Miami can continue, but the ritual of watching Messi carry Argentina’s hopes and pressure is coming to an end.