Lionel Messi has officially said goodbye to the Argentina national team, bringing one of the greatest international careers in football history to an end.
The Argentine captain featured in Argentina’s third and final friendly of the international break against Benin, producing another outstanding performance as the world champions secured a 3-0 victory.
Messi marked the occasion in style, scoring one goal and providing two assists as he delivered a memorable final performance for his country.
The sanctioned friendly means Messi’s latest contributions count toward his official international statistics, further strengthening a résumé widely regarded as one of the greatest in football history.
Messi’s Argentina Career Ends With Six Major Trophies
During his time with Argentina, Messi won four trophies with the senior national team.
His senior honours include the 2021 Copa America, 2022 Finalissima, 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2024 Copa America.
At youth and Olympic level, Messi also won the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics, taking his total international trophy haul to six.
Messi also experienced several painful defeats before eventually reaching the summit with Argentina.
He was part of the Argentina sides that finished runners-up at the 2007 Copa America, 2014 FIFA World Cup, 2015 Copa America and 2016 Copa America, as well as the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
His individual achievements have been equally remarkable.
Messi won the World Cup Golden Ball twice and was named the Best Player at the 2015 and 2021 Copa America tournaments. He was also named Man of the Match in the 2022 Finalissima.
Messi Finishes With Argentina Records
Messi leaves the Argentina national team as the country’s all-time record holder in several major statistical categories.
He finishes with 208 international appearances, 126 goals and 67 assists.
Those numbers make Messi Argentina’s record appearance-maker, leading goalscorer and leading assist provider.
His longevity and consistency have made his records particularly difficult to match, and Argentina could wait many years before another player comes close to his numbers.
Beyond the statistics, Messi’s legacy with Argentina is defined by the transformation of his international career.
After years of near misses and criticism following major tournament defeats, he eventually led Argentina to the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 Finalissima and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, before adding another Copa America title in 2024.
Now, after his final appearance against Benin, Messi’s Argentina story has reached its conclusion.
The 3-0 victory provided the perfect setting for his farewell, allowing the legendary forward to leave the international stage after another decisive performance for the country he represented for more than a decade.
Lionel Messi’s international legacy will now stand as one of the most difficult records in football to surpass.