Lionel Messi Plays His Final Game For Argentina

At the end of this summer, Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international soccer after over 20 years with the Argentine national team.

Messi will live on in soccer history for his play, especially in his home country, Argentina. He is a god-like figure throughout the entire nation, having brought years of international success to the team, even though he struggled to win trophies until the latter half of his international career.

In his last game, he scored a penalty in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Benin in an international friendly.

It was Messi’s 208th appearance for the team, and it was an emotional night for everyone involved. Messi was visibly overcome, calling it the “saddest day of my career.”

He wasn’t the only one, though; fans and players couldn’t hold back tears as the night became a full “celebration” of his time with the team.

They paused the game in the 10th minute to honor the legend, and held a ceremony after that included a drone tribute and speeches.

The game comes a few months after the team’s World Cup Final loss to Spain, which ended in a nasty scuffle between the teams. That night was filled with passion for winning, whereas this night was all for Messi.

Messi will retire with two Copa América titles and a coveted 2022 World Cup victory, which he describes as the peak of his career and the day he completed the sport.

He won all three trophies after his first retirement in 2016, when he felt he was letting the international team down.

This retirement from international soccer will likely be his last, and it marks the end of his time on the Argentinian national team, though he will likely still play club for a little while longer.

His impact on not just the sport but his home country will live on forever in Argentinian history.

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Article by Robert Blute