Lionel Messi ended a 21-year international career with a goal and two assists as Argentina beat Benin 3-0 in Buenos Aires, his 208th cap and 126th goal.
Lionel Messi closed his international career on Tuesday with a goal and two assists as Argentina beat Benin 3-0 in a friendly at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Reuters reported. It was his 208th cap and his 126th goal for Argentina.
After a goalless first half, Messi set up Nicolas Otamendi, who was also ending his international career, and then Nico Paz. He converted a penalty in the 71st minute for 3-0. The Guardian said the match was stopped in the 10th minute for a minute-long ovation, a nod to his shirt number, in front of about 85,000 people.
Reuters said teammates, Benin players and the referee gathered around him at the final whistle, and a drone show followed. The Guardian said he had wiped away tears on the team bus before the match.
Messi, 39, leaves as Argentina's most-capped player and record scorer after the 2022 World Cup and Copa America titles. The occasion was billed as The Last Tango.
No successor was named. Paz, who scored the second goal, is one of the players discussed for the No. 10 role, Reuters reported.
People Sentiments Positive
- The crowd chanted Messi's name after the penalty.
- The Guardian said he wiped away tears on the way to the stadium.