Messi to get mid-game tribute by soccer teams across Argentina after international retirement

Matches in all men's and women's competitions in Argentina will be halted after 10 minutes of play to honor the country's football legend Lionel Messi, who announced his retirement from the national team on Monday, according to German Press Agency (dpa). Claudio Tapia, the president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), stated that they aim to "pay tribute and honor Lionel Messi's career with Argentina with a minute of applause" at the beginning of the following matchday.

The games will pause for 10 minutes because Messi wore the number 10 jersey for the national team. Additionally, a promotional video will be screened in stadiums with video screens prior to the commencement of the matches, as per an AFA statement released on Wednesday evening. Messi had a stellar club career, and in 2022, he completed his time with the national team by winning the World Cup title.

However, he was unable to secure a second world championship for Argentina this year, as they lost to Spain in the final.