Messi bids farewell to Argentina with a penalty in a 3-0 win over Benin
Messi scored a penalty and set up two goals in his final Argentina match, a 3-0 win over Benin in Buenos Aires.
Lionel Messi signed off with Argentina on 6 October, scoring a penalty and setting up two more goals in a 3-0 win over Benin in Buenos Aires. The penalty was his 126th goal for his country, in his 208th and final appearance, per ESPN.
The goals, in order
Argentina were still goalless at half-time. The breakthrough came on 48 minutes, when Nicolás Otamendi struck a right-footed shot from very close range, with Messi credited with the assist from a corner. Otamendi had been booked on 44 minutes and was replaced by Lisandro Martínez on 52.
Nico Paz, who had come on for Rodrigo De Paul on 59 minutes, scored on 61 with a left-footed shot from outside the box that found the bottom left corner, and Messi again provided the assist. The third goal came on 71 minutes, when Messi stepped up himself and converted a penalty, a left-footed shot into the top right corner. NBC10 Philadelphia reports the spot kick followed a late tackle in the box by Agustín Giay.
A farewell built into the night
The night was built as a farewell. Messi’s sons Thiago, Mateo and Ciro lined up with the team for the anthem, and play stopped in the 10th minute for applause, ESPN reports. Players from the 1978, 1986 and 2022 World Cup squads joined the tribute, per ESPN, which also reports that more than 85,000 tickets sold out within 90 minutes. After the match, a drone show above the stadium displayed images of his Argentina jersey and the AFA logo, NBC10 Philadelphia reports.
In September, AFA president Claudio Tapia said the invitation was for Messi to have “the goodbye he truly deserves on October 6, here, in Argentina,” per beIN Sports.
“Now, inevitably, I face the saddest day of my career: saying goodbye to the national team.”
ESPN quotes Messi with those words, and also reports him saying he will miss defending the national team’s colours.
The numbers behind the win
Argentina had 65.2% of the ball and took 19 shots to Benin’s seven, with 12 of their shots on target against two. Messi took nine shots, a team high. Enzo Fernández completed 73 accurate passes, and Cristian Romero made seven interceptions. Benin recorded eight saves, while Emiliano Martínez made two for Argentina.
| Stat | Argentina | Benin |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 65.2% | 34.8% |
| Shots | 19 | 7 |
| Shots on target | 12 | 2 |
| Corners | 8 | 2 |
| Passes | 666 | 356 |
| Accurate passes | 607 | 282 |
| Saves | 2 | 8 |
| Offsides | 6 | 0 |
| Fouls | 11 | 14 |
| Yellow cards | 1 | 1 |
Where this leaves Argentina
Argentina lost the World Cup final to Spain, per ESPN, a 0-1 defeat on 19 July 2026. The two matches before this one were home friendlies: a 4-0 win over Bolivia on 1 October and a 7-0 win over Burkina Faso on 4 October. Benin came in ranked 93rd in the world, according to Al Jazeera, which put Messi’s national-team record going into the match at 207 caps, 125 goals and 68 assists. His honours include the 2022 World Cup and the Copa América titles of 2021 and 2024, per ESPN.
What comes next
Scaloni, speaking to ESPN, said the squad will have to cope without what Messi brings: “That presence he creates won’t be there anymore.”
“We can put together a great squad with the new guys coming up, but I’ve never seen that aura in anyone else in my life.”
Scaloni had said before the match that the No. 10 shirt would not be handed to anyone until Messi’s game had taken place, per Al Jazeera. Messi continues his club career with Inter Miami, NBC10 Philadelphia reports.