Messi scores penalty in fairytale Argentina farewell to end 126-goal international career

Lionel Messi brought down the curtain on his Argentina career with a penalty in a 3-0 friendly win over Benin at Buenos Aires on Thursday, scoring his 126th and final international goal to cap a send-off befitting the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.

The 39-year-old, who announced his international retirement following Argentina’s defeat in the World Cup final, was invited back for a celebratory friendly alongside his teammates from the triumphant 2022 World Cup squad. He leaves as his country’s most-capped player with 208 senior appearances, a record 126 goals, and the unique distinction of having started three World Cup finals.

The evening threatened to belong to another departing figure when 38-year-old centre-back Nicolas Otamendi opened the scoring shortly after half-time, converting after Benin failed to clear a Messi corner. Nico Paz then doubled the lead from the edge of the area on 61 minutes.

Messi’s moment arrived ten minutes later. A clumsy challenge by Tamimou Ouorou on Agustin Giay handed Argentina a penalty, and the Inter Miami forward blasted it into the roof of the net — his 126th goal in an Argentina shirt.

It had not been a flawless night for Messi before that. Benin goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou denied him early on, and Messi himself turned a cross narrowly wide and was off-target again in the 33rd minute. Emi Martinez was also called upon before the break to keep out Junior Olaitan, while Dandjinou later denied an Enzo Fernandez header and Aiyegun Tosin volleyed wide when the visitors threatened a shock lead.

At full-time, Messi made an emotional farewell to the Buenos Aires crowd, drawing the curtain on an international career that spanned two decades and culminated in the 2022 World Cup triumph in Qatar.