From Rosario To World Cup Glory: Lionel Messi Bids An Emotional Farewell To Argentina

Mumbai: For more than two decades, Argentina looked to Lionel Messi whenever it needed a moment of magic. On Tuesday night, 85,000 people packed the Monumental Stadium for one final glimpse.

They got more than a goodbye.

Messi turned his farewell appearance into one last exhibition, scoring from the penalty spot and providing two assists as Argentina beat Benin 3-0. But the score was almost incidental on a night devoted to celebrating the man who wore Argentina’s colours for 21 years and eventually carried the burden of expectation all the way to World Cup glory.

At 39, the little boy from Rosario who grew into Argentina’s No 10 walked away with 126 international goals, two Copa América titles and, most importantly, the 2022 World Cup.

“It was a source of great pride to wear this jersey for over 20 years,” Messi told the crowd from the centre of the pitch. “I never stopped fighting, never stopped giving my all.”

A night filled with symbolism

There was symbolism everywhere.

Messi wore a special Argentina jersey with a golden No 10 and a design incorporating goat horns, a reference to his status as the “Greatest of All Time”. Ten minutes after kick-off, the match itself stopped. Teammates and opponents approached him as the stadium rose in applause.

Before the game, the emotions had already begun to spill over. With his sons Thiago, Mateo and Ciro alongside him, Messi struggled to contain himself as Argentina’s national anthem was sung by a veteran of the 1982 Falklands War. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez put an arm around his captain.

Messi lets football speak

Then, as he has done so often, Messi let the football speak.

His corner was headed home by Nicolás Otamendi in the 48th minute. In the 61st, Messi set up Nicolás Paz, who finished beautifully with his left foot. Ten minutes later, Messi stepped up to the penalty spot and drove a left-footed shot into the top corner.

“Olé, olé, Messi,” rolled around the Monumental.

It was an appropriate final flourish to an Argentina career that was never as effortless as his football sometimes appeared.

From heartbreak to World Cup glory

Messi made his senior international debut in 2005 as the heir to Diego Maradona. For years, however, international glory remained painfully elusive. There were lost finals, crushing disappointments and questions over whether a player who conquered almost everything at club level could ever reproduce that success for his country.

Eventually, the story changed.

Copa América success ended the long wait for a senior international trophy before the 2022 World Cup transformed Messi’s relationship with Argentine football forever. He was no longer simply Maradona’s successor. He had his own World Cup, his own generation and his own place in Argentina’s sporting mythology.

His final World Cup brought another stirring run, although Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in the final. Messi nevertheless finished the tournament with eight goals and four assists, another reminder that even near the end, his influence had hardly diminished.

Supporters cherish final memories

For the supporters at the Monumental, however, this night was about memories rather than statistics.

Rebeca Arias and Daniel Lema travelled more than 1,000 km from Tucumán to attend. Their specially designed hat carried images of Messi from each of the six World Cups he played.

“We believe this is a unique moment,” Arias said. “Something like this might never happen again with a player.”

Messi seemed to understand that, too.

After thanking his teammates and urging the next generation to remain united, he promised that his relationship with Argentina would continue from the other side of the touchline.

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“Now I’ll be on your side, supporting the national team and the guys who come next,” he said.

One final lap

Then came the final lap.

Messi walked it alone as the chants bearing his name descended from the stands.

For 21 years, Argentina had asked Messi to carry its hopes.

On his last night, all it asked him to do was listen to the applause.

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