Messi Bows Out Of Argentina National Team With Goal, Two Assists In 3-0 Win Over Benin

Lionel Messi ended his Argentina international career in memorable fashion, scoring once and providing two assists as the world champions defeated Benin 3-0 at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on Tuesday night.

The match, played on October 6, marked Messi’s final appearance for Argentina after a remarkable 21-year international career.

Former Nigeria head coach Gernot Rohr was in charge of Benin for the farewell fixture, which attracted more than 85,000 spectators.

Messi set up Nicolás Otamendi for Argentina’s opening goal from a corner in the 48th minute before assisting Nico Paz for the second in the 61st minute.

The Argentine captain then converted a penalty in the 71st minute to complete the 3-0 victory.

With the performance, Messi finished his Argentina career as the country’s most-capped player with 208 appearances and record goalscorer with 126 goals.

Speaking after the game, Messi said the occasion was difficult to put into words, describing it as an emotional moment.

“There are a lot of emotions, a lot of things going through my head,” he said.

Reflecting on his international career, Messi said it was a huge source of pride to have represented Argentina for more than two decades.

“Playing for Argentina is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you,” he added.

Before the match, Benin goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou had insisted that his side would approach the encounter competitively rather than simply participate in Messi’s farewell.

“This is football: eleven against eleven,” Dandjinou told Spanish newspaper Marca.

He also ruled out the possibility of allowing Messi to score, saying his responsibility as a goalkeeper was to stop shots.

Benin defender Mohamed Tijani also played down the focus on Messi, saying his team would simply enjoy the occasion.

Rohr, who previously coached Nigeria at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, described it as a great honour to face Messi in his final Argentina appearance.

The fixture therefore reunited Rohr with Messi eight years after the former Nigeria coach faced the Argentine star at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The victory brought an illustrious international chapter of Messi’s career to a close, with the Argentina captain bowing out after 208 appearances and 126 goals for his country.