'I'm going to miss you' – Messi thanks Argentina fans after 'painful' retirement
Messi bids emotional farewell after final match with Albiceleste; "Playing for Argentina is the greatest thing that can happen to you," he tells fans.
Lionel Messi signed off from international football on Tuesday, thanking Argentina fans for their years of support while admitting that retirement from the national team is "deeply painful.”
Messi, 39, scored a goal and provided two assists as his 208th and final international game ended with a 3-0 win over Benin.
"It was a source of great pride for me to wear this shirt for more than 20 years," Messi told fans in an address after the final whistle at the Monumental in Buenos Aires.
"Even in the worst moments we went through and that I had, I never stopped fighting, never stopped being here.
"Not coming anymore is going to be deeply painful. I swear I'd like to play for the rest of my life, because playing for the Argentina national team is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you," said the veteran, who will continue to play club football for Inter Miami.
The skipper reflected on his career, remembered his late father, thanked the fans and looked back on his rollercoaster journey in the light-blue-and-white of Argentina.
“It is very difficult to say anything today, there are so many emotions. The first thing I think about is my dad,” Messi said as he began his speech, referencing the August passing of his father Jorge Messi.
The star picked out perseverance as the defining feature of his international career. “All I can do is say thank you. Even in the worst moments, I never stopped fighting, struggling and giving my all,” he said.
Reflecting on his final World Cup and the team's performance, Messi said he valued what he and his teammates had achieved.
“The last World Cup was too much, everything I had to live through," said Messi. "We had the dream of fulfilling my dream and the dream of the whole country, of becoming world champions again.”
He continued: "In the last World Cup we were very close, and the reality is that nothing strange happened, as people say. The match against England took a huge toll on us physically, and emotionally it was very big.”
"We arrived with just enough, we fought like we always did with this shirt, with all the teammates I got to be with and share things with, not only them but also those who were around in the time when we managed to win. We were very close."
Messi went on to pay tribute to his teammates.
“Make no mistake, every teammate I have had alongside me has always given everything for this shirt, always. I can tell you that we are an extraordinary group, and that is why we achieved everything we achieved,” he said, paying tribute to his teammates.
“I was lucky enough to travel around the country, I went everywhere, and you always filled the stadiums and were with us everywhere. I will always be grateful for that.”
Among his fondest memories, he singled out reuniting with the fans after winning the World Cup in 2022.
In the Monumental, “I experienced one of the best moments of my career, when we came back to play after becoming champions. It was the most beautiful thing that happened to me,” said the superstar.
"Now I'm here on the saddest day of my career, which is the day I have to say goodbye to the national team, goodbye to all of you.
Finally, Messi looked ahead to the challenges posed by the changing of the guard and called for unwavering support for the team.
“I say goodbye to the national team. I am going to miss you, I am going to miss it, but now I have to be on that side [with the fans],” said Messi.
“Always united. There will be difficult times, as there always are when there is a major change, but we all have to stay united, because there will be people who speak badly about the national team, and we have to defend it,” he concluded.