Published : 07 Oct 2026, 11:26 AM
Updated : 07 Oct 2026, 11:26 AM
The lights went out. Fireworks illuminated the Monumental. Lionel Messi walked on to the pitch with his three sons as more than 85,000 people rose to greet him.
Argentina had promised that Messi's final international appearance would be much more than a football match.
For hours before kickoff against Benin, through a carefully timed interruption during the game and long after the final whistle, his goodbye unfolded as a celebration of a 21-year international career.
There was live music, a giant No. 10 shirt, fireworks, a minute-long ovation, a half-time performance, drones over the Monumental and a closing musical surprise.
There were plenty of tears too.
The emotion had begun before Messi even reached the stadium.
Crowds lined Argentina's route to the Monumental, and television cameras caught the 39-year-old wiping away tears inside the team bus as he looked out at supporters gathered along the way.
By then, the party inside the stadium had been under way for hours.
The programme began at 5:30pm with a succession of live performances as the stands filled, with Argentine cumbia band Damas Gratis among the acts before kickoff.
But some of the loudest noise was reserved for something much simpler: Messi emerging for his final warm-up in an Argentina shirt.
He raised both hands towards the stands as the packed stadium erupted.
Then came his final entrance as an Argentina player.
With fireworks going off around the stadium, Messi led the team on to the pitch accompanied by his sons Thiago, Mateo and Ciro.
A giant Argentina shirt bearing the No. 10 and the word "Gracias" was spread across the field.
Another emotional moment followed during the national anthem.
Falklands War veteran Fabio Santana performed the anthem beside a banner reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" (The Malvinas are Argentine) as Messi struggled to contain his tears.
His wife Antonela Roccuzzo, mother Celia Cuccittini and other family members were among those watching from the stands.
Then the game began.
A Minute for No. 10
It lasted only 10 minutes before the farewell took over again.
As the clock reached 10, referee Fernando Vejar stopped play. Players from both teams paused as the Monumental rose for a prolonged ovation for Argentina's No. 10. Several Benin players approached Messi during the stoppage as fireworks sounded around the stadium.
Messi raised his arms in acknowledgement before play resumed.
The entertainment continued at half-time, when guitarist Gaspar Benegas performed during the interval.
Messi then returned for the final 45 minutes of his Argentina career, and this time he provided the highlights himself.
He created Argentina's opener for fellow veteran Nicolas Otamendi shortly after the restart.
Messi then supplied Nico Paz for the second, linking the player at the centre of Argentina's farewell with one of the young talents hoping to lead the team into its next era.
The captain added the third from the penalty spot, taking his Argentina tally to 126 goals and completing a 3-0 win.
But the final whistle did not end the night.
The Sky Becomes the Stage
Players and officials gathered around Messi for embraces before attention shifted upwards.
Hundreds of drones illuminated the Buenos Aires night above the Monumental, forming images associated with Messi and Argentina.
Among them were the No. 10, the World Cup, Argentina's three world-title stars, a "Gracias Leo" message and Messi's face.
Argentine singer Soledad Pastorutti then performed "Brindis", a song closely associated with Messi and the national team, as the captain and his teammates remained on the field.
Messi took the microphone soon afterwards.
He spoke about an international career spanning more than two decades, from the painful defeats and criticism of his earlier years to the World Cup and two Copa America titles.
He remembered his late father Jorge, said wearing the Argentina shirt had been an enormous source of pride and admitted the reality of no longer returning to the national team would be difficult to accept.
"Not coming anymore is going to hurt a lot," he said.
The music continued after his speech, with Sergio Torres and Darío Zanco providing the final act. Torres has long been one of Messi's favourite singers, adding another personal touch to the farewell.
Not every sound from the stands followed the programme.
Sections of the crowd chanted against Argentine Football Association chief Claudio Tapia before kickoff, briefly cutting across an evening otherwise dominated by tributes to Messi.
But the message surrounding the night had been established long before.
In Rosario, Messi's hometown, another giant No. 10 shirt bearing the word "Gracias" had been displayed at the National Flag Memorial. In Buenos Aires, landmarks were illuminated in Argentina's colours. Thousands lined the streets simply to watch the team bus pass.
Inside the Monumental, Argentina stretched one football match into hours of music, lights, fireworks and tributes.
Messi had arrived at the stadium in tears. He left it having scored one last goal, created two more and watched the sky above the Monumental light up in his honour.
