{
  "id": 12509763,
  "title": "Emotion, tears as Messi prepares for Argentina farewell",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/emotion-tears-as-messi-prepares-for-argentina-farewell-12509763",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-06T23:44:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/sports/2026/10/07/emotion-tears-as-messi-prepares-for-argentina-farewell"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Lionel Messi prepared for his farewell to Argentina's international football on Tuesday, visibly emotional as he bid adieu to the fans. The 39-year-old was overcome with tears as he and his teammates made their way to the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, a stadium packed with 85,000 roaring supporters. Before the match, a massive Argentina jersey with the word \"Gracias\" was laid out on the field. Moments before the game, Messi was again seen choking back tears as the national anthem played. The fixture, dubbed \"The Last Tango,\" allowed the football superstar to pay tribute to his illustrious career, which saw him win 125 goals in 207 matches over a two-decade span. Messi announced his retirement from international football in August, citing his desire to see young talent take the stage. Argentina, led by coach Lionel Scaloni, will honor their hero in a ceremony that includes former teammate Neymar's heartfelt tribute on social media. Messi's number 10 jersey will remain vacant until the next match, where his successor will be revealed.",
  "summary": "The friendly against Benin has been billed as 'The Last Tango', a tribute to the diminutive genius widely regarded as football's greatest player.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Emotion, tears as Messi prepares for Argentina farewell",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/emotion-tears-as-messi-prepares-for-argentina-farewell",
        "published": "2026-10-06T23:44:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Lionel Messi's last game for Argentina: Pregame tears, a giant flying jersey and 1 final international goal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/lionel-messis-last-game-for-argentina-pregame-tears-a-giant-flying",
        "published": "2026-10-07T01:40:22.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}