The North News
Twentyone years after a difficult international debut, Lionel Messi signed off from Argentina in fitting fashion, with a goal, two assists and a 3-0 victory over Benin at the Monumental Stadium on Tuesday.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) reported that it was Messi’s final appearance for Argentina at home. Nicolás Otamendi opened the scoring before Messi set up Nicolás Paz for the second and converted a penalty to complete the victory.
It was a long way from August 17, 2005, when Messi made his Argentina debut against Hungary in Budapest. His first appearance lasted barely 90 seconds and ended with a red card. More than two decades later, he walked off the field as Argentina’s most-capped player and record scorer, with 207 appearances and 125 goals, according to the AFA.
FIFA, the world governing body of association football, described the arc of his international career as one that “started and ended in tears”. This time, however, the tears came after years of triumph.
Messi leaves behind a collection of major international honours that once seemed beyond reach; the 2021 Copa América, 2022 Finalissima, 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2024 Copa América, according to the AFA. The World Cup triumph in Qatar finally completed the major chapter missing from his Argentina story.
His journey had not always been easy. After Argentina lost the 2016 Copa América Centenario final, Messi briefly stepped away from international football before returning to the national team.
At the Monumental, however, the focus was no longer on those old doubts.
The AFA reported that Messi was emotional during the national anthem, with his sons Thiago, Mateo and Ciro beside him. His wife Antonela Roccuzzo and mother Celia were also present for the farewell.
After the final whistle, Messi told the crowd that “playing for the Argentina national team was the best thing that happened to me in my life”, according to the AFA’s official account of his farewell speech.
For Argentina, the era of watching Messi in the blue and white shirt is now over.
For Messi, it was one last night under the Monumental lights: a goal, two assists, a victory and an emotional goodbye to the country he represented for more than two decades.
A fitting final tango.
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