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How Lionel Messi’s Argentina Farewell Unfolded Against Benin
Messi’s October 6 farewell ended with Argentina beating Benin 3–0: he assisted the first two goals and scored the third from the penalty spot. Argentina invited Messi back after he announced his international retirement following the 2026 World Cup final defeat to Spain; the rest of the 2022 World Cup winning squad...
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- Messi’s October 6 farewell ended with Argentina beating Benin 3–0: he assisted the first two goals and scored the third from the penalty spot.
- Argentina invited Messi back after he announced his international retirement following the 2026 World Cup final defeat to Spain; the rest of the 2022 World Cup winning squad was also invited, though that does not conf...
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openai.comCreate a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: How did Lionel Messi’s farewell match for Argentina against Benin unfold—from the circumstances of his retirement after the 2026 World Cup f. Article summary: Messi’s October 6 farewell ended with Argentina beating Benin 3–0 in Buenos Aires: he assisted the first two goals and scored the third from the penalty spot. The match gave him a final appearance after he had announced . Topic tags: general, news, general web. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermarks, charts with fake numbers
Lionel Messi’s final match for Argentina delivered the ending supporters hoped for: a 3–0 win over Benin in Buenos Aires, with Messi assisting Nicolás Otamendi and Nico Paz before scoring from the penalty spot. It was his 208th appearance for the national team and his 126th goal. 7
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Why Messi returned for one last match
Messi announced his international retirement after Argentina lost to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. Argentina then named him in its squad for an October 6 friendly against Benin at Buenos Aires’ Monumental Stadium, inviting him back for a farewell appearance. 1
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The Argentine Football Association also invited the rest of the 2022 World Cup-winning squad. That confirms an invitation, not that every player attended; reports describe several former teammates joining the tribute. 10
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Two assists, then a penalty goal
Messi was involved in all three goals. He set up Otamendi for Argentina’s opener, assisted Nico Paz for the second, and converted a penalty in the 71st minute to complete the 3–0 victory. 5
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The performance capped a 21-year international career. Messi finished with 208 Argentina appearances and 126 goals, alongside a record that included the 2022 World Cup and two Copa América titles. 7
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A stadium-wide tribute—and Messi’s words
The farewell began before kick-off, with tributes in front of the home crowd. Reports describe Messi appearing emotional during the ceremony and receiving a loud, prolonged ovation from the Monumental crowd. 8
After the match, Messi said wearing the Argentina shirt for more than 20 years had been a source of pride. He also reflected on the difficulty of leaving, saying he would love to keep coming back forever, but that it was not possible. 8
Were there protests?
The available reports establish an emotional farewell and widespread tributes, but they do not clearly document protests at the match. One preview mentioned travel and facility complaints raised by the Benin camp; that is not, by itself, evidence of a protest. 6
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Messi’s October 6 farewell ended with Argentina beating Benin 3–0: he assisted the first two goals and scored the third from the penalty spot.
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Messi’s October 6 farewell ended with Argentina beating Benin 3–0: he assisted the first two goals and scored the third from the penalty spot. Argentina invited Messi back after he announced his international retirement following the 2026 World Cup final defeat to Spain; the rest of the 2022 World Cup winning squad was also invited, though that does not conf...