The legendary captain of the world champions and current Inter Miami striker Lionel Messi made an extremely emotional address to his fans on the adidas Football profile, hours before he finally ended his 21-year career with the Argentine national team.
The 39-year-old genius comes out for his last farewell match for the “albiceleste“ on the night of October 7 (Wednesday) Bulgarian time, when the Argentines face the Benin team at the packed “Estadio Monumental“ in Buenos Aires.
In the special video, Messi did not hide his excitement about the moment:
“The moment has come. I leave with peace of mind that I have given my all. This shirt has been my dream, my pride, my life for many years. Thank you for loving me so much. I will always miss you.“
Messi announced his decision to retire from the international scene immediately after the World Cup finals this summer. His debut for the Argentina men's national team was in August 2005 in a friendly match against Hungary, which he won 2-1.
In more than two decades at the highest level, Messi has become an absolute icon for his homeland. In his career with the national team, he played a total of 207 matches in all official and friendly tournaments, scoring an impressive 125 goals and providing 67 assists.
The match against Benin is organized by the Argentine Football Association (AFA) as a special benefit with which the entire nation will pay a well-deserved tribute to its greatest footballer of all time.