Lionel Messi addressed Argentina’s fans hours before a friendly against Benin in Buenos Aires, saying he was leaving with peace of mind. The match at the Monumental is set to be his last for the national team.
“I’m leaving in peace. I tried to give everything,” Messi wrote in an emotional message to Argentines. The Associated Press and FIFA report that the 39-year-old captain is ending his international career after more than two decades with the national team. The farewell match against Benin was scheduled for the evening of October 6 local time.
The Argentine Football Association released a program for the ceremony at the Monumental, with events planned before the match, at halftime and after the final whistle. Organisers promised music and a light show. Messi’s hometown of Rosario prepared its own tribute: a 30-metre replica of his farewell shirt bearing “Gracias” (“Thank you”) in place of his name.
Neymar, Messi’s close friend and former teammate at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, posted an emotional message. Bangladesh’s Prothom Alo also recalled that Messi first played for Argentina at the Monumental on October 5, 2005. The outlet’s statistics say he has made 28 national-team appearances there, winning 22, drawing six and scoring 19 goals.
The farewell follows Messi’s announcement that he is ending his international career. For supporters, the match against Benin is more than a friendly: it is a final chance to see the captain in Argentina’s shirt.