Argentina pays tribute to Lionel Messi after international retirement announcement

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Argentina began paying tribute to Lionel Messi after the football great announced his retirement from international football earlier this week. The first tribute came during the Copa Argentina match between Velez Sarsfield and Boca Juniors on Wednesday, when play was stopped in the 10th minute for a round of applause at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes. Fans across the stadium stood and applauded Messi, bringing the game to a halt for a brief moment. Two of Messi's former Argentina teammates, Leandro Paredes and Manuel Lanzini, were on the pitch during the tribute. The match later ended 0-0, with Boca Juniors winning the penalty shootout 4-3. The tribute follows a decision by the Argentine Football Association, which announced that referees will stop play in the 10th minute of every match in the upcoming round of the Clausura tournament, as well as in other men's and women's competitions across the country, to honour Messi's international career. Messi announced his international retirement after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, ending a career that lasted 21 years with the Argentina team. He finished with 125 goals and 68 assists in 207 appearances for Argentina. In his retirement message, Messi said the decision "hurts the depths of my soul", but added that he "knows the time has come" to stop representing his country.

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Messi's biggest achievement with Argentina came when he led the team to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title in Qatar. He also helped Argentina win the Copa America in 2021 and 2024, ending the country's 28-year wait for a major trophy. Although he is one of Argentina's biggest sporting icons, Messi has never played club football professionally in his home country. He moved to Barcelona at the age of 13 and built his career there. Messi has retired only from international football and continues to play club football for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.

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