Lionel Messi plays his final match for Argentina at Estadio Monumental, supported by family just two months after the passing of his father, Jorge.
The roar at Estadio Monumental on Tuesday night carried a weight that transcended the standard atmosphere of a friendly match. As Lionel Messi stepped out of the tunnel for his 208th and final international appearance. 85. 000 spectators in Buenos Aires stood to witness the closing of a 21-year chapter.
In the stands, the scene was defined by a quiet, collective resilience. Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and his mother, Celia María Cuccittini, sat together, joined by their children. They watched the 39-year-old warm up, wearing the No. 10 jersey. capturing the moment on their phones as the crowd surged in recognition of the man who delivered a World Cup victory and two Copa America titles for his country.
This farewell against Benin serves as the final bookend to a career spanning 125 goals. but the occasion is marked by a deep. personal shadow. The match arrives almost exactly two months after the death of Jorge Messi. the player’s father. who passed away on August 7 at age 68 in a hospital in Rosario. For years, Jorge acted as the bedrock of his son’s career, serving as his agent and business manager.
Following that loss, the certainty of Messi’s future wavered. After his father’s passing. following a previously revealed ‘health situation. ‘ Messi spoke publicly of the pain of losing his closest confidant so near to the finish line of his playing days. ‘All I ever did was play football. and now I have a fair few doubts as to whether I’ll carry on doing it for much longer. ‘ Messi said at the time. ‘You were by my side from the start, we were so close to the end. Why didn’t you hang on just that little bit longer so we could finish it together?’.
While Messi will continue his club duties with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. his international curtain call feels finalized by the sting of a recent past. On August 31. he officially announced his retirement from the national team. a decision that followed a painful defeat to Spain in the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium near New York—a night that ended with the icon in tears. Tonight, however, the stadium was focused solely on honoring the man who stayed until the final possible whistle.
Lionel Messi Argentina football retirement Antonela Roccuzzo Jorge Messi Estadio Monumental Benin international football