Lionel Messi’s family gathered at Estadio Monumental for the final game of his international career on Tuesday night.
The 39-year-old’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, was joined by their children and Messi’s mother, Celia María Cuccittini, for the friendly against Benin.
They wore Messi jerseys and were seen filming and clapping as the No 10 emerged for warm-ups before being introduced to the 85,000-strong crowd in Buenos Aires. Messi’s three sons – Thiago, Mateo and Ciro – then accompanied him as he walked out of the tunnel for before kickoff.
The Argentina icon will bring the curtain down on his international career after 21 years, 125 goals, two Copa America titles and a World Cup victory.
In Messi’s 208th Argentina appearance, Lionel Scaloni’s team face West African minnows Benin but the otherwise-unremarkable friendly has become a seismic moment for Argentine soccer.
The game also comes almost two months to the day since Messi’s father, Jorge, died at the age of 68.
Lionel Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, is in Buenos Aires for his final game for Argentina
She was joined by Messi’s mother, Celia María Cuccittini, for the friendly against Benin
Messi’s three sons – Thiago, Mateo and Ciro – joined him as he walked out of the tunnel
Messi’s father Jorge, pictured at the 2022 World Cup final, died in August at the age of 68
Back on August 7, Jorge Messi reportedly died in a hospital in Rosario, close to the family home, a couple of months after the family revealed he had been rushed to hospital with an ongoing ‘health situation’.
Jorge Messi served as his son’s agent and business manager, and following his death, the 39-year-old admitted he was unsure how much longer his career would last.
‘All I ever did was play football, and now I have a fair few doubts as to whether I’ll carry on doing it for much longer,’ Messi said.
‘You were by my side from the start, we were so close to the end (of his career). Why didn’t you hang on just that little bit longer so we could finish it together?’
He added: ‘Dad, I still can’t believe you’re gone. I can’t get my head round it — or rather, I don’t want to. It’s so hard for me to imagine that I won’t see you ever again, that we won’t talk anymore. I know you were suffering and that this is for the best, but you left us far too soon. We still had so much left to enjoy together.
‘You kept asking me to play in the last World Cup, and it was just days before it started that you took a turn for the worse.
‘It was the first time you weren’t going to be at a tournament, but Mum kept telling me you’d get better and that you’d be well enough to travel. I’d tell you that we’d make it to the final so you could travel.
‘Every time a match ended, I’d wait for your message and miss it. That’s when I realised the situation was really bad.’
Fans poured on to the streets of Buenos Aires ahead of Messi’s final ever game for his country
The friendly was played at Estadio Monumental, the 85,000-seater home of River Plate
Fireworks exploded in the skies above the capital of Argentina ahead of kickoff on Tuesday
Following Tuesday night’s swansong, Messi will continue to play for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer but on August 31, he announced he would be retiring from international football.
That decision came just weeks after the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium near New York, where Spain beat Argentina and Messi’s World Cup journey ended in tears.
On Tuesday in Buenos Aires, fans let off flares and carried giant banners in honor of their retiring hero, while others showed off Messi tattoos or painted images of the 39-year-old on their face.
In Messi’s hometown, Rosario, a giant jersey carrying his No 10 was flown by helicopter.
The Argentine soccer federation has turned Tuesday’s game – Messi’s 208th for his country – into a national homage dubbed ‘the last tango.’
Around 85,000 tickets to Buenos Aires’ largest stadium sold out in 90 minutes, while members of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad and their families were invited back to join the tribute.
Four years ago, Messi led Argentina to victory in Qatar, securing the country’s third World Cup triumph and landing the one trophy that had eluded him for so long.
