Messi burst into tears on the bus before his farewell match with the Benin national team

Lionel Messi could not contain his emotions on the way to the stadium where his last match with the Argentina national team will take place against the Benin team.

Thousands of fans took to the streets of Buenos Aires in the area of ​​the Monumental stadium, about 85 thousand spectators filled the stands of the arena.

Messi announced his retirement from the Argentina national team after the World Cup final, and his farewell match against Benin will take place in September.

MOSCOW, October 7 - RIA Novosti. Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and 2022 world champion Lionel Messi could not contain his emotions on the way to the stadium for a friendly match against Benin, which will be his last as part of the Argentina national football team.

La Nacion+ TV channel is broadcasting live footage of the Argentina national team bus heading to the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. Footage from the broadcast shows the 39-year-old footballer wiping his eyes with a handkerchief.

In Buenos Aires, on the day of Messi's farewell match with Benin, thousands of fans took to the streets around the Monumental stadium. About 85 thousand more spectators filled the stands of the arena.

At the end of August, Messi, who plays for Inter Miami in the North American Major League Soccer (MLS), announced his retirement from the national team. The Argentine said that he made this decision on July 21, two days after the World Cup final. In September, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) called up Messi for a friendly match against the Benin national team, which would be his farewell.