Goals, assists, sweat, awkward moments and lots of tears. Leo Messi's farewell to the Argentina national team was more or less as expected. Practically everyone cried. The referee of the match, Fernando Vejar, gave him the match cards, the farewell ones from the Selección. Benin's footballers surrounded the number 10 for a commemorative selfie at the end of the match, with Leo who was not that happy. An awkward moment, just like the one when after the match a drone started celebrating Messi, or rather it had to, because first they started a series of commercials. Then he spoke, the most awaited man, who is leaving after 208 matches and with the 126th goal, who remembered his father and showed his emotions, evoking sadness.
Lionel Messi gets emotional during Argentina's national anthem before his final match against Benin
by u/xggq in soccer
Messi, one goal and two assists in farewell with Argentina
Leo's last match with the Argentine national team was prepared down to the smallest detail, it could not be any different for someone who has not just marked an era, but the history of football. The moment of farewell was already clear after the World Cup final, but it was made official a few weeks later. Benin, the opponent in the match of Messi's last tango, resisted for a long time, with the first half ending goalless. Messi then provided two assists, for Otamendi and Nico Paz, and scored the final goal himself with Argentina, for 3-0, but the result is the thing that will be remembered least.
#AD10S 🐐 ⚽️ #Argentina 🇦🇷 3 🆚 Benín 🇧🇯 0 🗣️ Otro más. En su noche. Quisiera que esto dure para siempre 🎵 https://t.co/gN10KPICGY
— 🇦🇷 Selección Argentina ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) October 7, 2026
"Today is the saddest day of my career"
After the match, with the microphone in his hands, Leo spoke surrounded by his family, his wife and three children. The first thought was for his father, who passed away two months ago. Then came the words of respect for his teammates, whom he described as warriors, and the strongest sentence, but still predictable: "Today is the saddest day of my career."
Standing ovations from the whole stadium for Lionel Messi at the 10 minute mark at his final match for Argentina against Benin
by u/xggq in soccer
Selfies with Benin footballers
In addition to the many tears and applause, there were also very special moments in the farewell celebration. First of all, the selfies of the Benin players, who surrounded Messi, who at that moment wanted nothing more than that pressure and those photos. One of the opposing players follows him from behind, catches him, puts his arm around his neck, raises his phone and records the moment. Messi, and it doesn't take an expert to understand, has a rather annoyed expression, tries to free himself, wants to get away, the marking was too tight.
Messi POLITELY asking a Benin player to take a selfie after the game with him
by u/MysteriousJuice1127 in sportsgossips
The celebration drone that starts with the commercials: and it whistles
But there was one thing that caused a series of controversies, even on social networks that went "crazy" and released extraordinary criticism of those who organized the evening. After the end of the match, the drones showed some images, but first the commercials started, accompanied by the whistles of the public, and then it was Messi's turn. But Leo in those images shot with his right foot, a mistake that leaves you speechless, practically a sacrilege.
There were no goals and trophies, just songs, mistakes and commercials, with criticism of president Chiqui Tapia, long accused of wanting to maximize profits. Criticism had already been fierce for the friendlies he organised, and now he has also been targeted for the drone issue.
Essentially, the accusation that the Argentine federation wants to make money has always been strong, and what was seen in the background, but not so far away, of the last dance of a great champion like Messi, did not please the public at all.
