Lionel Messi plays final Argentina game to roaring Buenos Aires farewell

Lionel Messi played his final game for Argentina's national team on Tuesday, closing out a 21-year international career with a friendly match against Benin that drew a roaring send-off from the Buenos Aires crowd.

The match marked the formal end of Messi's long tenure representing Argentina at the senior international level, a career that spanned more than two decades and included some of the most celebrated moments in the country's football history.

A career-defining farewell

Messi's international career has been widely regarded as among the greatest in the sport's history, featuring major honors won with the national team alongside individual accolades earned over the course of his playing days. His farewell appearance against Benin provided fans in Buenos Aires an opportunity to honor that legacy in person.

The emotional atmosphere surrounding the match reflected the significance Argentine supporters attach to Messi's contributions to the national team, with the roaring reception described as a fitting send-off for a player whose international career has shaped a generation of the sport's following in the country.

Further details on Messi's future plans, including any continued club-level commitments, were not addressed in connection with this farewell appearance.