Messi Bids Emotional Farewell to Argentina After 3-0 Win
The 39-year-old scored in a 3-0 friendly win over Benin at a packed Monumental Stadium. Nicolas Otamendi and Nicolas Paz also scored in the second half before Messi added his goal. Afterward he took the microphone and struggled to hold back emotion as he reflected on more than 20 years in the national colors.
“It is very difficult to say anything today. There are so many emotions. The first thing I think about is my father,” Messi said at the beginning of his address.
Messi thanked fans for backing him through a career that included painful defeats before he led Argentina to Copa America and World Cup titles.
“I have nothing left to do but say thank you,” he said. “Even in the worst moments, I never stopped fighting, working or giving my all.”
“Playing for the Argentina national team is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you. It was the best thing that happened to me in my life.”
He also thanked the teammates who shared the journey with him, saying they had always given everything for the shirt.
“We are an extraordinary group, and that is why we achieved everything we achieved,” he said.
Rejects talk of World Cup irregularities
Messi also addressed Argentina's loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, dismissing suggestions that anything unusual had happened at the tournament.
“The last World Cup was already more than I could have hoped to experience. We had the dream of becoming world champions again. RWe came very close. Nothing strange happened, despite what people are saying,” he said.
He said the semifinal against England had taken a heavy physical and emotional toll, but insisted his teammates left everything on the field.
The forward said leaving the national team would bring great sadness, though he would now back Argentina from the stands.
“I am saying goodbye to the national team. I am going to miss you, and I am going to miss it, but now it is my turn to be on the other side,” he said.
A call for unity
Messi urged supporters to stay united behind the next generation, warning that a period of transition could bring difficult moments and fresh criticism.
“There will be people who speak badly about the national team, and we have to defend it,” he said. “Always stay united.”
Messi made his senior debut for Argentina against Hungary in Budapest in August 2005. After thanking the crowd, he acknowledged that he had spoken at length because he did not want the farewell to end.
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