Messi Bids Argentina Farewell With Goal and Two Assists
Lionel Messi closed his international career with a penalty goal and two assists as Argentina beat Benin 3-0 in a friendly on Tuesday at Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. An announced crowd of 85,000 gave the captain a sustained ovation in what was billed as his last appearance for the national team.
Defender Nicolas Otamendi opened the scoring in the 48th minute, heading in from a Messi corner. Messi then set up young forward Nicolas Paz for a left-footed finish in the 61st minute before converting a penalty himself ten minutes later, sending it into the top corner. The match was his 208th appearance for Argentina. He wore a specially designed jersey with wider stripes, a large sun emblem and a gold No. 10, featuring a goat-horn motif on the back referencing his "Greatest of All Time" nickname. ipbl prime division women
Messi made his senior debut for Argentina in 2005 and went on to score 126 goals in his career with the national team, a record for the country. He won the 2022 World Cup and two Copa América titles, and is the only player to win the Ballon d'Or eight times. He announced on Aug. 31 that his time with the national side was coming to an end. Before kickoff, play was stopped ten minutes in so players from both teams could honor him, and fans rose for a standing ovation as he acknowledged the crowd. He was joined at the match by his three sons, Thiago, Mateo and Ciro, and appeared emotional during the national anthem, with goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez placing a hand on his shoulder in support.
Earlier Tuesday, the University of Buenos Aires awarded Messi an honorary doctorate at the national team's training facility in Ezeiza, citing his performances for Argentina and his influence on and off the field. At the last World Cup, Messi scored eight goals and added four assists as Argentina finished runner-up, losing the final 1-0 to Spain - a performance that has kept him in contention for another Ballon d'Or alongside leading candidates Lamine Yamal of Spain and Kylian Mbappé of France.
