Messi scores 126th goal in final Argentina farewell — SkimNews
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- Lionel Messi played his 208th and final Argentina match, scoring his 126th international goal via a 71st-minute penalty and adding two assists in a 3-0 win over Benin on Tuesday.
- The farewell, dubbed "the last tango," sold out 85,000+ tickets at the Estadio Monumental in 90 minutes, with resale passes fetching over $2,500; players from Argentina's 1978, 1986, and 2022 World Cup-winning squads attended.
- Messi's post-match speech called it "the saddest day of my career," with the 39-year-old saying he was thinking most of his father Jorge — his lifelong agent and business manager — who died at 68 in Argentina just weeks after the World Cup.
- Messi's recent tournament saw Argentina fall 1-0 to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final in July, where he tallied 8 goals and 4 assists — enough to re-enter the Ballon d'Or conversation against Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé, even as the only 8-time winner of the award.
- His international legacy spans 21 years, two Copa América titles (2021, 2024), the 2022 World Cup, and 21 World Cup goals across a record-tying six tournaments; only Cristiano Ronaldo (146 goals, 234 games) surpasses him in men's international history.
- At club level, Messi continues with Inter Miami, where he recently lifted the Campeones Cup — his fourth trophy with the MLS side.
- Coach Lionel Scaloni joined Messi in tears during the Argentine national anthem, which Messi sang alongside his three sons — Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro.
Why it matters: Messi exits international football at 39 as Argentina's all-time leading scorer and appearance holder, leaving a national team program built around him for nearly two decades. His farewell comes just months after a World Cup runner-up finish in which he produced 12 goal contributions, keeping the 8-time Ballon d'Or winner in the 2026 race.
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