Lionel Messi described his retirement from international football as “the saddest day of my career” on Tuesday, after making his final appearance for Argentina in a 3–0 victory over visiting Benin in Buenos Aires.
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Messi came onto the pitch after the match at the Monumental Stadium, where he scored one goal and provided two assists, and expressed his gratitude to the fans and his teammates while reflecting on his 21-year career with the Argentina national team.
“It has been a tremendous source of pride for me to wear this shirt for more than 20 years. Even during the worst moments we went through, and that I personally went through, I never stopped fighting, and I never stopped being here,” Messi told the crowd.
“Not coming here again will be extremely painful. I swear I would have liked to play my whole life, because playing for the Argentina national team is the most beautiful thing that can happen to anyone.”
Messi added that returning to the Monumental, where Argentina played its first match after winning the 2022 World Cup, was an occasion in which feelings of joy and sadness were intertwined.
“I am here today on the saddest day of my career, the day when I have to say goodbye to the national team and say goodbye to all of you,” he said.
“But from now on, I will be on the other side, with the fans, supporting all the players and everyone who joins the national team. We will always remain united.”
Despite his sadness, Messi said he had no regrets about the timing of his international retirement, pointing to the enormous effort Argentina made during this year’s World Cup campaign, when they reached the final before losing to Spain.
He said the emotional ups and downs surrounding the tournament, including Argentina’s 2–1 semifinal victory over traditional rivals England, had left a major impact on him.
“Although I would like to stay here my whole life, I feel this is the right time. The last World Cup was more than I could handle, and everything I had to experience during it,” Messi said.
“We had a dream my dream and the dream of the entire country to become world champions again. In the last World Cup, we came very close. The truth is that things unfolded naturally and nothing strange happened, as some people say. The match against England drained us physically, and its emotional impact was also very significant.”
“We reached the final with whatever energy we had left, and we fought as we always do in this shirt, alongside all my teammates with whom I shared this experiencebnot only the players, but everyone who was there during the period when we achieved our victories. We came very close.”
Al-Mamlaka + AFP
