Messi in tears, stadium erupts as Argentina celebrates farewell

While the bus with Lionel Messi slowly passed the gate of the Estadio Monumental, a stream of tears ran down his cheeks; outside the stadium erupted in a cacophony of singing and flags, a scene that perfectly captured the emotion of the moment. The evening, which the Argentine federation labeled as "The Night That No One Wants to End", took place on October 7, 2026, one hour before kickoff at one o'clock Belgian time.

Emotional farewell on the national stage

Messi, now 39 years old, had announced after the World Cup final against Spain that 207 caps would mark the end of his international career. Yet the federation convinced him one more time to return for a farewell match against modest Benin, not a qualifier but a ceremonial duel that should transcend the sport.

Tens of thousands of Argentines gathered at the Monumental, where a gigantic shirt bearing "GRACIAS" and the iconic number ten was hung in the birthplace Rosario. Fans waved banners, rolled out their own version of a "final that no one wants to see end", while Messi silently played an emotional video in which he said: "The moment has come to go in peace. I have given everything. Thank you for loving me so much."

Media and fan reactions around the world

On social media, under the X symbol, thousands of users shared clips of Messi that did not stay dry on the bus, and Neymar, his former teammate, posted a message: "Not only Argentina thanks you, I also wave you off." The event received its own program segment, tracking the atmosphere in the lead‑up to the match.

The match itself was broadcast as one of the main highlights in the Jupiler Pro League overview, alongside other sporting events such as tennis, Formula 1 and basketball, and was listed in the calendar of Champions and Europa League matches. The event was also categorized under the Conference League section of the sports news feed, extending its reach to fans of various disciplines.

For the last time Messi saw the red scarf of Argentina, while he struck a final ball in a training session he completed earlier that day. The atmosphere was described as "the evening that no one wants to see end", a feeling that extended to the site's quiz section, where readers were challenged to test their knowledge of Messi’s impressive international career.

The evening ended with a large‑scale video message in which Messi thanked the audience for their love, after which the fans sang along for a long time and left the city bathed in a festive glow.