Lionel Messi scored a penalty and provided two assists to mark the end of his international career as Argentina defeated Benin 3-0
The farewell match at the Estadio Monumental was all pomp and pageantry as fans wore Messi masks, the Argentina FA placed a pitch-size Messi jersey on the field, and firework displays dominated the match
A standing ovation also broke out 10 minutes into the encounter to celebrate Messi with his jersey number as the 39-year-old took in a befitting farewell after 21 years of service with the national team
On the pitch, Messi produced an expert corner kick delivery for Nicolas Otamendi to score the opener three minutes into the second half, before providing Nico Paz with an assist for his well-executed curler from the edge of the area on 61 minutes for 2-0
A penalty was awarded for clumsy challenge and Messi sent the goalkeeper the wrong way on 71 minutes to seal the 3-0 win
Lionel Messi ends his international career with Argentina scoring 126 goals- highest in the country’s history- and provided 69 assists He won the FIFA World Cup once and was a two-time finalist. He also led Argentina to two Copa America titles, and all the victories came with the Barcelona legend as captain of the team.
He played 208 matches for Argentina, and is the country’s all-time highest goalscorer in World Cup in history with 21 goals