Lionel Messi describes final Argentina appearance as

Lionel Messi bid an emotional farewell to the Argentina national team following a 3-0 victory over Benin, concluding a historic 21-year international career.

Now I'm here on the saddest day of my career, which is the day I have to say goodbye to the national team, goodbye to all of you, Lionel Messi told the crowd at the Monumental Stadium on Tuesday, closing the book on a 21-year international career that redefined modern football.

The Argentine icon bid his final farewell to the Albiceleste in a 3-0 victory over Benin in Buenos Aires, scoring a penalty and contributing two assists to help Nicolás Otamendi and Nico González find the net. The match marked the definitive end of an era for South American football, drawing tears from teammates and fans alike as a generation of players who grew up idolizing the forward watched him step off the international stage for the last time.

Messi walked around the pitch waving to supporters after the final whistle, thanking them for their unwavering support before delivering an emotional farewell address that followed a drone show. The 39-year-old reflected on a career that spanned more than two decades of triumphs and heartbreaks.

Video: Lionel Messi’s Emotional Message After Argentina’s World Cup Final Defeat — CNBC-TV18 (YouTube)

It was a huge source of pride for me to defend this jersey for more than 20 years, Messi told the stadium, according to flashscore.com. Even in the worst moments we went through, and that I had, I never stopped fighting, never stopped being here. Not coming anymore is going to be deeply painful. I swear I'd like to play for the rest of my life, because playing for the Argentina national team is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you.

The timing of his exit was shaped directly by the physical and emotional toll of this year's World Cup in North America, where Argentina battled through to the final before losing to Spain. Messi pointed to that campaign, and particularly a gruelling 2-1 semi-final win over England, as the tipping point for his body.

Even though I want to be here all my life, I feel that this is the moment, Messi said. The last World Cup was too much, everything I had to live through. We had the dream of fulfilling my dream and the dream of the whole country, of becoming world champions again. In the last World Cup we were very close, and the reality is that nothing strange happened, as people say. The match against England took a huge toll on us physically, and emotionally it was very big.

From Teenage Prodigy to Global Icon

The journey to Tuesday night's farewell spanned two decades of unforgettable moments on the world's grandest stages. Messi first announced himself on the global scene during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where he came off the bench against Serbia and Montenegro to score one goal and create another during a 16-minute cameo while Diego Maradona watched from the stands at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen.

That early promise gave way to years of near-misses, including three consecutive final defeats that prompted Messi to briefly announce his retirement after the 2016 Copa America. Persuaded to return by public pleas—including from then-president Mauricio Macri, who called Messi a gift from God—he carried his nation through a tense qualification campaign for the 2018 World Cup with a hat-trick against Ecuador in Quito.

The drought finally broke at the 2021 Copa America in Brazil, where Messi won the tournament's Golden Ball and Golden Boot after being directly involved in nine of Argentina's 12 goals, netting five himself. I have peace of mind of having achieved the dream that has been denied to me so many times, Messi told ESPN three months later. It was like a dream, a spectacular moment. I couldn't believe it had happened.

That momentum carried into the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Messi captained Argentina to glory, winning Player of the Match in every single knockout game and scoring twice in a thrilling 3-3 draw with France in the final before Gonzalo Montiel rolled in the decisive spot-kick. Along the way, he produced moments of magic that left opponents awestruck, such as when he turned 20-year-old Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol inside out during a 3-0 semi-final win.

I'm glad that I played against him even though we lost, Gvardiol said after the match, via goal.com. I will be able to tell the children that I marked Messi for 90 minutes.

Socceroos midfielder Keanu Baccus expressed similar wonder during Argentina's last-16 clash in Qatar, which marked Messi's 1000th professional game. He looks fake on the field, he looks a bit like a wax statue, to be honest. It’s surreal how good he actually is and how he watches the game, sees the game and takes it on himself, Baccus said.

Even as recently as this year's World Cup in North America, Messi continued to rescue his side. Down 2-0 to Egypt in the last-16 with 11 minutes remaining after missing a first-half penalty, Messi provided an assist for Cristian Romero before scoring an equalizer that made him the first man in World Cup history to score in six consecutive knockout stage games.

That resilience carried into the semi-finals against England on July 15, where Messi set up Fernandez for an equalizer and delivered a precise cross for Lautaro Martinez to head home a late winner. As Micah Richards noted on the BBC's coverage, via goal.com, We thought it could have been Jude Bellingham or Kane, but this is why he is the king, the greatest of all time. It's remarkable what he can do.

Yet those heroics unfolded against a backdrop of deep personal grief, with Messi's father seriously ill back home before passing away shortly after the final loss to Spain. In an open letter, Messi revealed, Every time a match ended, I waited for and missed your message. That’s when I realised the situation was really bad. Even so, I kept thinking about going as far as possible, to give you time and so you could watch a match. I wanted to win it to bring to you and show you a new one. I couldn’t, my legs couldn’t go any further. This time I tried to go against my body, but I couldn’t.

An Emotional Farewell in Buenos Aires

The final chapter played out on Tuesday at the Monumental Stadium, where the weight of the moment overwhelmed those who shared the pitch with the captain. Midfielder Enzo Fernandez could not stop crying on camera during the post-match ceremony, weeping openly as the country said goodbye to its talisman. Fernandez, now 25, had famously posted on Facebook as a 15-year-old begging Messi not to retire from international football.

Other footballing legends shared their tributes from afar, with Neymar and Ronaldinho posting heartfelt goodbye messages on social media, while River Plate named Messi an honorary member to mark the occasion.

For Argentina, the transition away from its greatest-ever player begins immediately, leaving a young core led by Fernandez to navigate a post-Messi reality. Messi himself made it clear where his loyalties lie from now on.

June 2006: Makes his World Cup tournament debut against Serbia and Montenegro, scoring one goal and creating another during a 16-minute cameo.
June 2012: Scores a hat-trick in a thrilling 4-3 friendly win against Brazil in East Rutherford.
July 2016: Announces his retirement from international football following a Copa America final defeat to Chile, a decision he later reversed.
October 10, 2017: Nets a sensational hat-trick against Ecuador in Quito to single-handedly secure Argentina's qualification for the 2018 World Cup.
July 10, 2021: Wins the Copa America in Rio de Janeiro, claiming his first major international trophy with Argentina.
December 18, 2022: Captains Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar, defeating France in a penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw.
July 15, 2026: Delivers a match-winning display with an assist and a crucial role in the semi-final defeat of England at the World Cup.
October 6, 2026: Plays his final international match for Argentina, scoring a penalty and adding two assists in a 3-0 defeat of Benin before confirming his retirement.

The bigger question facing the Argentine national team is how a squad built entirely around accommodating, following, and rescuing its captain will reinvent its identity on the pitch, and whether any player in the Albiceleste pipeline can shoulder the psychological weight of wearing the iconic No.10 shirt.