Buenos Aires, October 5: Lionel Messi is set to play his final match for Argentina on Tuesday, bringing down the curtain on one of the greatest international careers in football history and closing a remarkable chapter in the country’s football story.

The 39-year-old superstar will lead Argentina against Benin in a friendly at the Estadio Monumental, with supporters preparing to bid farewell to the player who has been the face of the national team for more than two decades.

Messi leaves behind a legacy few footballers can match. He guided Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title after finishing runners-up in 2014 and 2026, won back-to-back Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024, and claimed Olympic gold in 2008. With 125 international goals, he is Argentina’s all-time leading scorer and has transformed moments of pressure into some of the most unforgettable chapters in the team’s history.

His journey with Argentina was not always smooth. For years, Messi endured intense scrutiny as major trophies remained elusive, even briefly retiring from international football in 2016. His eventual triumphs turned those years of disappointment into a story of perseverance, redemption and sporting immortality.

“Messi leaves behind something unequaled,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “The feeling of having him on the pitch is unique. I’ve never seen anyone else convey what he does on a football field, and that is what we’re going to miss.”

Yet Argentina are determined not to let Messi’s departure signal the end of their golden era. Scaloni believes the team will remain among the world’s elite, while recent victories over Bolivia and Burkina Faso have offered encouraging signs.

Nicolás Paz, Franco Mastantuono, Gianluca Prestianni and Leonel Flores represent an emerging generation, alongside established stars such as Lautaro Martínez, Enzo Fernández, Cristian Romero and Emiliano Martínez.

For Argentina, however, Tuesday will primarily belong to Messi. After years of carrying the hopes of a football-mad nation, the country’s greatest player will take his final bow in the famous blue and white shirt, leaving behind not just trophies and records, but a legacy that will be measured for generations.