It was the farewell Argentina never wanted, but one they will never forget. At the Monumental in Buenos Aires, Lionel Messi played his final World Cup qualifying match on home soil, and, true to script, he left with two goals, a 3-0 win, and an entire nation in tears.
Messi’s goals light up Buenos Aires
The evening began with raw emotion. An emotional Messi walked out holding his children’s hands, visibly overwhelmed by the sea of flags, chants, and tears pouring from 80,000 fans who knew this was goodbye. By the time the whistle blew, the game itself had become his stage one last time.
The breakthrough came late in the first half. Leandro Paredes picked out Julián Álvarez, who wriggled into space before unselfishly slipping the ball across to Messi. With two defenders and the goalkeeper closing in, the captain calmly scooped the ball over them all. The Monumental shook, chants of “Messi, Messi” rolled from everywhere, and Argentina led 1-0.
In the second half, Lautaro Martínez doubled the advantage with a header after a clever move started by Messi. But the night belonged to one man, and he wasn’t done yet. Thiago Almada found space on the wing and cut the ball back for Messi, who met it with a first-time finish into the corner. Two goals, both different, both magical. It was the kind of farewell only Messi could script.
Right after the final whistle, the entire stadium cried, with Messi himself not stopping his tears. He hugged almost every individual on the pitch as the lights took a dim turn in Buenos Aires. Even manager Lionel Scolani was emotional alongside other players.
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