{
  "id": 12529739,
  "title": "Emotion, tears as Messi retires from Argentina national team",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/emotion-tears-as-messi-retires-from-argentina-national-team-12529739",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-07T03:02:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sport/lionel-messi-retires-argentina-national-team-6438146"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Buenos Aires witnessed an emotional farewell for Lionel Messi as he bid adieu to his 21-year international career in Argentina. The 39-year-old, considered the greatest football player globally, concluded his illustrious career with a 126th goal in front of 85,000 roaring fans. Messi scored the opening goal on his record-extending 208th appearance and provided the assist for the second, while Nico Paz added the third.\n\nThe event, dubbed The Last Tango, turned out to be a bittersweet moment for Messi. Earlier, he shed tears as his bus, laden with his family, traversed the crowds lining the route to the Monumental Stadium. Resplendent in his No.10 shirt, Messi received a warm welcome from his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and mother Celia Cuccittini. A giant Argentina jersey emblazoned with \"Gracias\" (Thank You) was unfurled on the pitch before kickoff, amidst the crowd's thunderous cheers.\n\nThe match was interrupted for a minute-long tribute to Messi's famed shirt number, accompanied by a rendition of the national anthem by Falklands War veteran Fabio Santana, who held a banner proclaiming \"The Malvinas are Argentine.\" The match concluded with Messi scoring a penalty in the 71st minute, and the final whistle saw a drone show projecting his image and thanking the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner for his illustrious career. An honorary doctorate conferred by the University of Buenos Aires earlier, the news of Messi's retirement reached him at the Argentine Football Association headquarters, where he expressed pride and humor at receiving the distinction. Former Barcelona teammate Neymar praised Messi, urging the world to thank him for his contributions to football. While Messi remains under contract with Inter Miami until 2028, his retirement comes four years after Argentina's World Cup triumph in 2022, marking his legacy as Diego Maradona's heir.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Lionel Messi bids farewell to Argentina national team after 21-year career.",
    "39-year-old Messi scores 126th goal and provides assist in record-extending 208th appearance.",
    "Tribute and drone show honor Messi's legacy before final whistle."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Lionel Messi's retirement from Argentina's national team cements his legacy as a celebrated heir to Diego Maradona, marking a new chapter after a storied 21-year international career.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Japan Times",
        "title": "Emotion, tears as Messi retires from Argentina national team",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/emotion-tears-as-messi-retires-from-argentina-national-team",
        "published": "2026-10-07T02:30:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Buenos Aires Times",
        "title": "'I'm going to miss you' – Messi thanks Argentina fans after 'painful' retirement",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/im-going-to-miss-you-messi-thanks-argentina-fans-after-painful",
        "published": "2026-10-07T02:52:06.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Emotion, tears as Messi retires from Argentina national team",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/emotion-tears-as-messi-retires-from-argentina-national-team-12531222",
        "published": "2026-10-07T02:58:09.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "'Not coming anymore is going to hurt a lot': Messi's emotional message to Argentina on farewell appearance",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/not-coming-anymore-is-going-to-hurt-a-lot-messis-emotional-message-to",
        "published": "2026-10-07T03:25:38.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}