Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Sports

Messi plays ‘The Last Tango’ for the Albiceleste in photos

ReutersAFP

Lionel Messi brought the curtain down on his 21-year international career on Tuesday, bidding farewell to adoring Argentina fans in an emotional final appearance for the former world champions in Buenos Aires, AFP reports from Buenos Aires.

In a perfectly scripted finale, the 39-year-old widely regarded as the greatest football player in history signed off with his 126th international goal in front of 85,000 supporters as Argentina cruised to a 3-0 victory over Benin.

Messi, playing in his record-extending 208th international, also provided the assist for the opening goal scored by veteran Nicolas Otamendi, with Nico Paz also scoring.

But the match was a footnote to the occasion itself, which saw Messi savoring the adulation of the Monumental Stadium crowd one last time for an event which had been billed as ‘The Last Tango’.

Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi during the warm up before the match
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi lines up with with teammates and sons Thiago, Mateo and Ciro during the national anthems ahead of his final international match
International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi with Benin's Sessi D'Almeida and referee Fernando Vejar ahead of his final international match
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina fans hold up the face cut-out of Lionel Messi in the stands before the match
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi with sons Thiago, Mateo and Ciro as he poses for a team group photo ahead of his final international match
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi's wife Antonela Roccuzzo and sons Thiago and Ciro in the stands before the match
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi in action
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi shakes hands with Benin players ahead of his final international match
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their third goal
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their third goal
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Referee Fernando Vejar hands the ball to Argentina's Lionel Messi after the end of his final international match
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their third goal with teammates
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi scores their third goal from the penalty spot
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their third goal
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi speaks to fans following his final international match
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Enzo Fernandez reacts during Lionel Messi's farewell celebration following his final international match
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi speaks to fans following his final international match
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni with his son Noah during Lionel Messi's farewell celebration following his final international match
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi's wife Antonela Roccuzzo and sons Thiago and Mateo during his farewell celebration following his final international match
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 A drone view of a drone show displaying the shirt of Argentina's Lionel Messi over the stadium following his final international match
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi reacts following his final international match
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 A drone view of fireworks in the stadium during the farewell celebration of Argentina's Lionel Messi following his final international match
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi acknowledges fans following his final international match
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi speaks to fans following his final international match
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi acknowledges fans following his final international match
Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Benin - Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 6 October 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi reacts following his final international match
This aerial view shows a giant shirt marking Lionel Messi's farewell from the Argentina national football team displayed at the National Flag Memorial in Rosario, Argentina, on 6 October 2026 on the eve of the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin .
Argentina fans display a banner reading "Gracias por todo mi capitán" ("Thank you for everything, my captain") alongside a tifo depicting Lionel Messi ahead of the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Celia Cuccittini, mother of Argentina's forward Lionel Messi, greets a fan ahead of the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Antonela Roccuzzo, wife of Argentina's forward Lionel Messi, greets fans ahead of the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Antonela Roccuzzo (C-L) and Celia Cuccittini (C-R), wife and mother of Argentina's forward Lionel Messi, greet fans ahead of the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi (C-bottom) enters the pitch to warm up ahead of the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi poses for a photo with his sons Ciro, Mateo, and Thiago Messi ahead of the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi eyes the ball during the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi reacts during the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi (R) and Benin's goalkeeper #01 Marcel Dandjinou fight for the ball during the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi (2nd-L) and teammtes leave the pitch at the halftime of the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi warms up ahead of the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
This close-up view shows Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi warming up ahead of the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi poses for a photo with Chilean referee Fernando Vejar ahead of the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Argentina's defender #19 Nicolas Otamendi celebrates with his teammates Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi, Argentina's midfielder #08 Enzo Fernandez, Argentina's defender #13 Cristian Romero and Argentina's midfielder #20 Alexis Mac Allister after scoring his team's first goal during the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi runs with the ball during the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi (L) hugs Argentine singer Soledad Pastorutti, aka La Sole, in a tribute after the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi, his wife Antonela Rocuzzo and their sons Ciro (C) and Thiago (R) leave the pitch following the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi reacts as he speaks following the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi reacts to a missed chance during the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi takes a free kick during the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi sets a free kick during the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
A drone light show depicting Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi above the Mas Monumental stadium is seen at the end of the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
TOPSHOT - Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi cries in a tribute after the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
TOPSHOT - Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi cries in a tribute after the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
TOPSHOT - Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi smiles along with his sons Thiago (L), Mateo (R), and Ciro (C) ahead of the international friendly football match between Argentina and Benin at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires on 6 October 2026.
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