Lionel Messi, idol of Argentine football, played his last minutes with the Albiceleste on Tuesday night, closing the curtain on a genius international career highlighted by a final goal against Benin (3-0), in an atmosphere of excitement mingled with gratitude and nostalgia.
Messi, 39 years old, with 208 caps, and now 126 goals with the Argentine team, played the entire match in front of more than 80,000 lucky fans at the monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, in a friendly match that felt like a celebration against Benin (ranked 89th in the FIFA standings).
More prominent than ever for his team, Messi scored his 126th and final goal for the national team from a penalty (70th minute), and provided two assists, his 66th and 67th with the Albiceleste, finding defender Nicolas Otamendi (48th minute) on a corner kick, who at 38 years old also played his last match with the Seleccion. He also assisted Nicolas Paz, who scored the second goal (60th minute).
