Lionel Messi’s return to the Estadio Monumental for Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Venezuela felt less like a match and more like a farewell wrapped in raw emotion. Cameras captured him near tears during the warm-up with his face unmistakably tight with feeling. For years, Argentina’s capital has lived off the magic of Messi’s left foot, but on this evening against Venezuela, it was his tears that took the centre stage.
Emotional walk to the pitch
Then came the moment that tugged at every heart in Buenos Aires: Messi walking onto the pitch hand-in-hand with his children. Even before the ball was kicked, the stadium was already trembling. Flags filled every corner, fans chanted his name in unison, and there was barely space to breathe in the sea of blue and white.
When Messi walked out, holding the hands of his three children, the roar grew louder than anything heard in recent memory. His wife, parents, and siblings watched from the stands. Messi waved to every corner of the Monumental, fighting back tears, before finally letting them roll down his cheeks.
The match itself almost felt secondary. For the people in the stands, this was less about the scoreline and more about being part of a goodbye. Yet, Messi still found a way to mark the night in his own style. In the 39th minute, he drifted inside the box and slotted home the opener. The eruption that followed was deafening. Chants, tears, and fireworks blended into one as Argentina’s captain raised his hands to the sky.
The Last Dance in Buenos Aires for Messi
Messi had already told the world this would be his last World Cup qualifier on Argentine soil. At 38, he hasn’t said exactly when he will retire, but the words “last home game” carried weight. CONMEBOL’s message earlier in the week, “the last dance is coming”.
“It’s going to be a very special game for me because it’s the last one in the qualifying round I don’t know if there will be friendlies or more games after that,” Messi said during a postgame interview with Apple TV after Inter Miami’s win against Orlando City.
“It’s a very special game, which is why my family will be there with me – my wife, my children, my parents, my siblings, and everyone else that can, including my wife’s whole family. And that’s how we’re going to experience it. After that, as I said, I don’t know what will happen, but that’s our intention.”
Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni admitted he too had to wipe away tears. The players gathered around Messi after the final whistle, giving him a guard of honour while the crowd sang, “No te vayas, Leo (don’t go, Leo).”
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