BUENOS AIRES, Oct 6 (Reuters) – Lionel Messi delivered one last master class in blue and white on Tuesday as Argentina’s captain brought the curtain down on his extraordinary 21-year international career by scoring one goal and setting up two others in a 3-0 friendly win over Benin.
The 39-year-old’s final bow in front of more than 85,000 fans at a packed Monumental stadium was less about football and more a national celebration of Messi’s service to the national team.
Landmarks across the capital glowed with the team’s sky blue and white colours, while fireworks lit up the skies above the heaving stadium as fans poured their hearts into a rendition of Argentina’s national anthem.
“It’s hard to talk,” said Messi, whose family watched proudly from the stands alongside some of Argentina’s World Cup winners of 1978, 1986 and 2022.
“There are a lot of emotions, a lot of things going through my head. The first thing I think about is my old man,” he added, referring to the recent death of his father.
“It was a huge source of pride for me to wear this shirt all this time, more than 20 years.
“Not coming anymore is going to hurt a lot. I swear, I’d love to keep coming my whole life, because playing for Argentina is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you.”
‘GRACIAS’
Hours earlier, a massive No. 10 shirt emblazoned with “Gracias” was unfurled at the National Flag Memorial in Rosario, Messi’s hometown.
As the team bus travelled from the training centre bearing his name, Messi wiped away tears as thousands lined the route.
When the teams took the pitch, Benin’s captain looked lost for words as he handed Messi a gift and letter during the pre-match handshake.
After a goalless first half, Messi supplied the assist for Nicolas Otamendi to tap home Argentina’s opener. Otamendi shared 17 years with Messi in the national team, including four World Cups, and was also ending his international career.
Messi then set up Nico Paz, one of the players seen as a potential successor for Argentina’s No. 10 shirt, to score the second goal.
In a fairytale ending, Messi converted a penalty for 3-0, his 126th international goal, prompting another round of “Messi, Messi” chants from the crowd.
At the final whistle, teammates, opponents and the referee gathered around Messi for embraces before a drone show lit up the sky. Argentine singer Soledad Pastorutti, known as “La Sole”, then sang her signature “Brindis” as part of a tribute to Messi and his journey with the national team.
Messi leaves as the country’s most-capped player (208) and record scorer having transformed years of frustration on the international stage into a story of World Cup and Copa America triumphs.
For years, Argentina asked Messi to deliver. On Tuesday, it simply came to say ‘Thank You’.
(Reporting by Ramiro Scandolo in Buenos Aires, additional reporting by Angelica Medina, writing by Janina Nuno Rios; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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