Final appearance at the Monumental

On 6 October 2026, Lionel Messi played his final match for Argentina in an exhibition fixture against Benin at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. The 39-year-old forward scored one goal and provided two assists in a 3-0 victory played before a crowd of more than 85,000 spectators. The fixture concluded an international tenure spanning 21 years, leaving Messi as Argentina's all-time leader with 208 appearances and 126 goals. His honours with the national squad include the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 Finalissima, the 2022 World Cup, and the 2024 Copa America. Following the match, the Inter Miami playmaker addressed supporters on social media to confirm his departure from international competition.

“Yesterday was my last game, and I already miss wearing the blue and white. I know I'm making the right decision.”

Tribute to Maradona and domestic reflections

In his statement, Messi credited his family, his teammates, coaching staffs, and the clubs that permitted him to represent Argentina throughout his career. He gave specific recognition to former Argentina captain Diego Maradona, who died in 2020 at age 60, stating that Maradona supported the squad during matches and from heaven. Messi's wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, published a supporting message describing her pride in his humility and commitment across his national team tenure. Following the announcement, CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez offered an open invitation for Messi to compete in South America's premier club tournament. Domínguez asked the forward whether he would accept the challenge to contest the Copa Libertadores, noting that the trophy remains absent from his career honours.

Ronaldo marks the career rivalry

Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who competed directly against Messi throughout their European club careers, responded publicly to Messi's farewell message on Instagram. The 41-year-old Portugal captain published a tribute acknowledging Messi's accomplishments with the national side.

“Leo, after so many years of defending your country, you've made history that will last forever. I have the utmost respect for what you've accomplished with Argentina. A hug.”

Ronaldo posted the commendation while involved in a dispute with Portugal national manager Jorge Jesus, following Ronaldo's sudden departure from Portugal's training camp. Across their careers, Messi and Ronaldo faced each other in 36 matches for club and country. Messi won 16 of those fixtures compared to 11 for Ronaldo, with Messi scoring 22 goals to Ronaldo's 21 in direct encounters.

Lionel Messi16

Cristiano Ronaldo11

Lionel Messi

16 wins

Cristiano Ronaldo

11 wins

Data from the article text

Lionel Messi22

Cristiano Ronaldo21

Lionel Messi

22 goals

Cristiano Ronaldo

21 goals

Data from the article text

Access disputes from the visiting camp

While the Buenos Aires crowd celebrated the captain's departure, Benin's travelling party reported dissatisfaction with security measures at the stadium. Benin head coach Gernot Rohr stated that stadium security restricted his squad from accessing the tunnel and locker rooms, preventing his players from exchanging shirts or taking photographs with Messi. Rohr noted that his team had assembled a flower bouquet in Benin's national colours to present to the Argentine captain.

“The only bad thing was that the Argentines gave us nothing. Neither a photo with Messi, nor a shirt. They didn't even let us enter the tunnel or locker rooms.”

The 73-year-old manager eventually acquired a memento after giving a 2018 World Cup jersey to Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni. Rohr waited approximately 30 minutes outside the dressing area before receiving the garment back bearing Messi's signature.