Curtain falls on Messi magic: Argentina bid farewell with a win
Published: October 07, 2026 07:44 AM IST
Buenos Aires: Argentina beat Benin 3-0 in Lionel Messi’s final game for his nation at the Estadio Monumental here on Thursday. The world witnessed a magical display from the 39-year-old, while bagging two assists and scoring one to make his final game another iconic day for his fans to remember.
The Argentine maestro left his legacy as the top scorer for the Argentina National Team. Thousands gathered at the Monumental to watch their beloved captain for the final time in an Argentine shirt.
On an evening when the South American beats kept ringing non-stop at the Monumental, ironically, Messi looked younger than ever, resembling his former self, donning a beard and messy hair.
When the national anthem of Argentina began, Lionel Scaloni had tears running down his face. Messi couldn’t sing a word of it as emotions overwhelmed the veteran.
Messi made his first shot at the target in the 7th minute, testing the goalkeeper from the edge of the box, one he has scored countless times before, but this one was parried away by the Benin goalkeeper, Marcel Dandjinou.
The whole stadium erupted into a standing ovation in the 10th minute in tribute to Lionel Messi. Scaloni was seen still trying to contain his emotions, something he usually does so well, but struggled on this occasion.
Benin were actively looking for goals regardless of the speciality of the occasion. They were after a positive result, as they should be, and did not shy away from any chance to ruin the evening for the thousands gathered in the stadium. An effort from close range by Junior Olaitan, from a sure-scoring position, left Emi Martinez uncomfortable but went wide off the mark.
The Argentina side played for their captain. Every pass in the final third was deliberately aimed at finding him in scoring positions, which led to mistakes most of the time.
The much-awaited goal from Messi almost arrived. Rodrigo De Paul’s delicately lobbed through ball found Messi, who almost diverted it towards goal, diving onto the volley, but Dandjinou emerged on top.
Benin fouled Messi to give away a free kick from a range he prefers. He found the target from a long way out, but again, the Benin goalkeeper won that battle.
Argentina’s one-twos worked fluidly, reminiscent of the 2022 side, but a goal remained elusive as attacks kept breaking down in the final third. Benin continued to overload the box in numbers whenever Argentina approached in attack.
Another chance for a goal went begging as Lautaro Martinez’s outside-of-the-boot ball found Messi almost perfectly, but the 39-year-old failed to produce a shot.
Benin cleverly locked the centre of the pitch where Messi operates, letting Argentina play through the flanks. Olaitan continued to cause chaos on the left flank, dancing inside the box to beat the defenders, but his shot was too weak to beat Emi.
Benin continued launching shots on goal right before half-time, testing Martinez continuously, but the goalkeeper pulled off a brilliant save at the near post to keep the scoreline goalless.
Messi almost found an assist to open up Julian Alvarez, but that opportunity was again diffused by the Benin goalkeeper. The game remained goalless as both teams left the pitch at half-time with the score at 0-0.
Argentina began the second half much more positively, launching quick attacks into the Benin box and winning a corner. Messi took the corner, to find his long-time comrade Nicolas Otamendi, who found the back of the net to break the deadlock. Otamendi lifted his captain up in the air to celebrate one last time, before he was taken off the field by Scaloni, with the crowd giving him warm applause.
In the 59th minute, Benin pulled Messi back and gave away another free-kick at his preferred shooting range. Messi produced another effort on target, but the goalkeeper kept it out once again.
Argentina presented their attacking football once again, and Messi found Nico Paz with a lay-off, which the youngster curled in with his left foot to beat the Benin goalkeeper. A real moment of metaphor for the ‘passing of the torch’, with Paz ready to succeed Messi’s number 10 legacy for Argentina.
The moment everyone was waiting for arrived in the second half, when Julian Alvarez went down following a dangerous challenge from the Benin defenders to win a penalty. In a moment when the whole footballing world looked for one possible outcome, Messi found the top right corner with his left foot for the final time in the Albiceleste jersey. Smiles spread across the stadium, with the players dancing around their idol, laughing in childlike innocence.
Minutes later, Messi almost scored again, with a pass from Nicolas Gonzales, but put it wide with an unusual attempt with his weak foot.
With seconds remaining in the game, Messi was gifted another free kick at his favourite spot, calling for a magical finish, but the Argentine failed to get on target, ending the final action of the game and Lionel Messi’s international career. The lights shut on a career of eternal greatness that surely will transcend generations.