Messi Retires from Argentina National Team After 21 Years

Lionel Messi described his retirement from international football as the “saddest day of my career” following Argentina's 3-0 victory over Benin in his final match at the Monumental Stadium. The 39-year-old scored once and provided two assists, addressing over 80,000 supporters.

Messi expressed pride in representing Argentina for over 20 years, stating, “Not coming anymore is going to be deeply painful.” He acknowledged the emotional toll of the recent World Cup campaign, where Argentina reached the final but lost to Spain, and mentioned the impact of his father's death in August. Argentina's head coach, Lionel Scaloni, paid tribute to Messi, calling him "unique" and expressing gratitude for the opportunity to coach him.

Scaloni emphasized the need for Argentina to prepare for life without Messi, marking the end of an era for the national team.