Everything that has a beginning, has an end. He goodbye to Lionel Messi of the albiceleste It closes, possibly, the best period that the Argentine team has had in the entire history. But this closure brings with it the opportunity for new talents to join the Argentine national team.
A little over a month ago, Lionel Messi announced his retirement from the Argentina national team and that day has arrived. This Tuesday, October 6, Messi will say goodbye to more than two decades defending the Albiceleste jersey, in which he achieved great milestones and iconic moments, as well as moments and scenes of sadness and disappointment.
“I’ve emptied myself, I have no more to give and there are very big guys coming back who deserve to be there,” Messi wrote in his farewell letter on social media last August.
The Monumental, home of River Plate, will witness the farewell of one of the greatest footballers the Argentine nation has ever seen. It is expected that around 85 thousand fans will attend the last performance of the ’10’ to say goodbye to one of the best players in the history of football.
Since his debut in 2005 against Hungarya match in which he only played one minute when he saw the direct red card in the 65th minute of the match, until 2026 Messi has 207 games with the albiceleste under his belt. Against Benin he will close his account at 208 and is expected to start from the starting 11.
Many of his teammates who were by his side on the field in the two decades with Argentina will be there for this farewell, mainly those who were world champions with him in Qatar 2022.
Among them are Ángel Di María (already retired from the national team), Rodrigo De Paul, Giovani Lo Celso, Nicolás Otamendi, Leandro Paredes and those currently called up by Lionel Scaloni for this FIFA date.
As impressive as it may seem, within Scaloni’s current squad, there are players who were not even born when Messi debuted with the albiceleste.
Franco Mastantuono and Leonel Flores, both forwards of the 2007 team and category, were not yet present in the earthly world back in 2005 when Messi took his first steps in the national team.
Coincident or not, the Monumental headquarters was the scene where Messi scored his first goal with the Argentina team. On that distant October 11, 2008, in the Qualifiers on the way to South Africa 2010,
Messi scored his first goal with the albiceleste against Paraguay. It took 33 games since his debut against the Hungarians for Messi to have his first goal celebration with the shirt that he has represented for so many years despite adversity.
In fact, the 39-year-old player had the opportunity to play, before the match against Benin, in this venue a total of 28 games in which he scored 19 goals.
Despite all the criticism, Messi continued to represent a country that at times turned its back on him. The breaking point came when the Argentine withdrew from the team in the first instance after losing the final of the 2016 Copa América Centenario.
“The national team is over for me,” Messi said, saying goodbye to the team with his mind and blood still hot from that lost final against Chile in the United States.
Immediately the Argentine people reacted and asked for the return of their ’10’. Barely two months passed when Messi reconsidered his position and decided to return to the team. And boy was it worth it.
The following years were full of ups and downs, until a name arrived in the national team to change the team’s fortunes and direction.
Lionel Scaloni ended up helping Messi win his first senior title. The 2021 Copa América was the beginning of a golden stage in Argentina, which continued with the achievement of the 2021 Finalissima, the 2022 World Cup, the 2024 Copa América and the runner-up finish in the 2026 World Cup.
With the Benin match, there will be 208 Messi games with Argentina, thus closing a glorious and golden era in Argentine football at a sporting level.
