Messi bids farewell to Argentina fans in emotional international finale

Lionel Messi played his final international match for Argentina on Tuesday, scoring in a 3-0 win over Benin at the Buenos Aires Monumental Stadium. The match was attended by 85,000 supporters, who celebrated the end of his 21-year international career that brought Argentina its 2022 World Cup triumph, according to France 24.

Messi, widely regarded as the greatest football player in history, scored his 126th international goal and provided an assist in his record-extending 208th international appearance. The New Straits Times reported that he signed off with a victory, with Nico Paz and Nicolas Otamendi also scoring.

The occasion was emotional, with Messi wiping away tears before the match and welling up again during the game. His family, including his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and his mother, Celia Cuccittini, were in attendance, and a giant Argentina jersey with "Gracias" (Thank You) was laid out on the pitch before kick-off, as per the New Straits Times.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, New Straits Times, Free Press Journal — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.