Messi says goodbye to the Argentina national football team after 21 years

A farewell full of love for an idol who declared himself to the fans. And a legion of fans who didn't believe that moment had arrived. Tears were present on the faces of the fans, coach Scaloni, his teammates, those who worked at the farewell and, of course, an emotional Lionel Messi.

At 39 years of age, he said goodbye to the Argentine national team. The star said that this was the saddest day of his career: having to say goodbye to the team and everyone there. Surrounded by his teammates, Messi saw drones in the sky draw the traditional number ten shirt and his face. In the tenth minute of the friendly against Benin, the more than 80 thousand fans at the Monumental de Núñez gave Messi a standing ovation.

He participated in the first two goals. He took the corner for Otamendi's shot and gave the pass for Nico Paz's beautiful finish. But his was missing. And the stadium came crashing down when full-back Giay suffered a penalty. It was the chance to pick up your cell phone and record Messi's last goal for the national team. The 126th goal for Argentina, in 208 games. The greatest scorer in the history of the national team.

In his speech after the 3-0 victory, Messi said that, if he could, he would play for the Argentine national team forever - where he was world champion in 2022 and two-time Copa América champion.

This Wednesday (7) afternoon, Messi also published a text. He said he knows he made the right decision, that it was an incredible journey, full of joy and also some sadness, but it was worth every step he took. In this post by Messi, Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo wrote:

Messi spent 21 years defending the Argentine national team. There is a whole generation of Argentines who don't know what it's like to see the team without him on the field. But from now on, you'll have to get used to it. An era in the Argentine national team comes to an end.

Lionel Messi continues to play for Inter Miami, in the United States. He has a contract until the end of 2028. Now, that's where the Argentine can score the thousandth goal in his career - 68 to go.