For the 208th and final time, Lionel Messi took the field as an Argentina player. The result (a 3-0 win over Benin in which Messi scored a penalty) barely mattered. This was barely a football match. Instead, it was an opportunity for Argentinean football to congregate and bid farewell to the greatest footballer in the country’s history. A national hero in blue and white.
Messi wasn’t always a hero to the Argentine public. For a long time, his achievements for the national team paled in comparison to that of Diego Maradona. Messi was labelled ‘El Catalan’ by those who questioned his commitment to his country. Argentina might have been Messi’s homeland, but Barcelona was his home. Some held that against him.
Nobody doubts Messi’s commitment now. Nor can they doubt what he achieved for Argentina, leading La Albiceleste to the 2022 World Cup, as well as a run to the final of the 2018 and 2026 World Cup. This is without mentioning the two Copa America titles he also won in 2021 and 2024.
That Argentina produced two of the greatest players in the history of the game in Maradona and Messi is remarkable. Maradona also defined an era and did so in a way that reflected the wider character of Argentinean football. So many Argentines saw themselves in the icon they called ‘El Diego.’
It isn’t so easy to see oneself in Messi. It’s impossible to relate to someone so naturally gifted. Messi’s talent was obvious from the moment he broke through at Barcelona and everything since then has added to his legacy as the greatest player of all-time. Any debate over his standing in the game ended a long time ago.
Argentina will never produce another player like Messi because no country will ever produce another player like Messi. He is one of one. Even at 39, Messi remains one of the most impactful players in the game, as he demonstrated at the 2026 World Cup, scoring eight goals in eight games. Now, though, feels like the right time to bring down the curtain.
While others (naming no names) have thrashed against the dying of their own light in the latter stages of their careers, Messi masters the art of ageing gracefully. He managed his decline by adapting his game. By making adjustments to maximise his influence.
This possibly included the decision to join Inter Miami. In Major League Soccer, Messi has the freedom to play at his own pace. He dictates everything at the club and has surrounded himself with teammates and staff members Messi can trust to ensure the best for him. This situation allowed Messi to perform at the highest level for Argentina for longer.
Victory over Spain in the 2026 World Cup final would have been the fairytale ending. Messi was a force of nature in the tournament. Without the 39-year-old, it’s extremely doubtful Argentina would have made it so far. Almost single-handedly, Messi dragged his team through several matches. The final was one step too far. Spain were too good.
Everything beyond the 2022 World Cup, however, was a bonus as far as Messi’s international career was concerned. That was his crowning moment. The achievement he’d chased for years and the triumph that finally put to bed the idea that Maradona had done something for Argentina that Messi could never. It was the final box checked in Messi’s career.
It’s unclear how much longer Messi will continue to play at club level. He is under contract with Inter Miami until the end of the 2028 season and is still the most important part of a team targeting MLS Cup success for a second consecutive season. He has plenty left to offer in South Florida where the 41-year-old and his family have built a home over the last three years.
Messi has previously spoken about his desire to play for Newell’s Old Boys before calling time on his career. Whether that would now be feasible is unclear, but Argentina has seen the last of him at international level. This marks the start of a new era for the South Americans with preparations already under way for the 2028 Copa America.
Of course, Lionel Scaloni still boasts a number of elite-level difference makers in his squad. Julián Alvarez, Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez started alongside Messi against Benin and so Argentina have good reason to be optimistic about the future. They will be favourites for the 2028 Copa America and among the contenders for the 2030 World Cup after that.
Nonetheless, Messi’s international retirement will make Argentina less special as a team, and the tournaments they play in less special too. Because Messi’s retirement isn’t just a loss to La Albiceleste, but to the game he made look so easy over such a long period of time. Argentina, and football, will never be the same again.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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