Lionel Messi Retires From International Football: Messi Scores in Fairytale Argentina Farewell as Neymar and Ronaldinho Pay Tribute

BUENOS AIRES — Lionel Messi bid farewell to the world of international football in an emotional event as the soccer star played the last match of his career. The player, who has been at the peak of football for two decades, ended his way in sky-blue and white colors in the biggest stadium in Argentina. The friendly match against Benin, dubbed “The Last Tango,” started as expected with a huge audience of 85000 people.

Argentina confidently won against Benin with score 3:0, with Messi engineering the attacking play and providing all the assists for the goals scored. In the first half of the match, there was not a single scoring chance as the game was fairly distributed between the two teams. However, in the second half, Messi first drew attention to the referee by giving an assist to the experienced defender Otamendi, who scored the first goal of the match. Then, he laid another low pass to the young midfielder Nico Paz, who made the second goal. Finally, Messi scored a penalty kick goal in the 71 st minute of the match, which was his record-breaking 126 th goal for his country.

In the aftermath of the match, the weight of Messi’s loss was still strongly felt by everyone. Over two decades, the star performer won numerous titles with his team, becoming an absolute champion in sports. Having received eight Ballon d’Or awards, he managed to score 208 goals for the national team, which makes a record. The last title was won in 2022 – the men’s World Cup held in Qatar. Messi also won the Copa America tournament twice, the Finalissima Cup and the Olympic football championship.

The player announced his decision to quit international football after the last World Cup tournament in 2026, which was celebrated with a long fanfare. However, the physical and emotional strain affected him greatly, and he decided to retire. The reason for this was also the death of his father, Jorge Messi, which was a great emotional trauma for him. Therefore, Messi kindly accepted the initiative of the Argentine Football Association to organize a friendly match as a send-off for his international career.

Thousands of people gathered to express their gratitude and appreciation for the greatest footballer of all time. Messi’s former colleague and friend Neymar Jr. paid a special tribute to the star player in his Instagram post. He especially emphasized the deep personal meaning of this match, in which his idol and friend played his final match. The Brazilian striker also expressed his feelings about the long partnership with Messi.

“This day is unforgettable for me, because I get a chance to pay my respects to my friend and idol before the final match in his football career. Anyone who loves football has enjoyed you for all these years. Today is your last match in the shirt of your beloved country, and I hope you feel joy and be happy knowing that all the people are paying respect to you. It is not only Argentinians who thank you, but the whole world for your contribution to the football,” wrote Neymar.

He also expressed his feelings about the beautiful game and a long journey with Messi. The famous striker wrote another post in a similar vein. “Thank you for making me fall in love with football even more. It was my great pleasure to play with you and make history together. THANK YOU, Leo Messi,” said Neymar.

Messi’s sports life is filled with bright victories and memorable matches. Apart from Neymar, another great footballer who paid tribute to Messi before the match is the Brazilian legend Ronaldinho. He spoke about his feelings regarding the final match of the player and the long journey he has gone through.

“I would like to say a few words about Leo Messi before the match today. I got to know him when he was a young boy, and it is a great honor to share the field with him. He made us all happy and enabled to enjoy the football. It is hard to find such a footballer who can continue the tradition of South American footballers,” said Ronaldinho.

Although Messi’s international career ended, he will continue to play football and score beautiful goals for the fans in the MLS. However, as the last match had shown, the number of fans who will always support him will diminish. The atmosphere of the match was extremely emotional as everyone wanted to cherish the last minutes of the game with their national hero.

The Argentine captain was earlier awarded an honorary doctorate (Doctor Honoris Causa) by the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.

The university unanimously approved its highest honorary distinction to recognize both his legendary football achievements and his positive influence on Argentine society. Rather than just celebrating his trophies, UBA highlighted his personal qualities, including his perseverance, humility, and dedication as a global ambassador for his country.