Lionel Messi has just published on his social media (Team Messi) his personal farewell to the Argentina national team, hours before this morning’s match against Benin, in which he will say goodbye to the Albiceleste after 207 matches with his country’s senior team.
“The day we never wanted to arrive has arrived. The saddest day of our lives,” Messi says in his farewell video. He then continues: “I leave in peace. I gave everything. This jersey was my dream, my pride and my life. Thank you for loving me so much; I will miss you.”
Messi has his last training session with the Argentina national team before saying goodbye.
Recall that Leo will start this Tuesday, alongside the vast majority of players who were world champions in 2022. It will be a final goodbye in a packed Mas Monumental stadium.
“Thank you Argentina,” Messi writes in a post on his Instagram account, accompanied by a photograph of him kissing the special jersey he will wear in his last match with his national team.
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Messi did not play against Bolivia in Cordoba or against Burkina Faso, but he will play against Benin on Oct. 6, in Argentina’s third and final friendly during this international window.
His presence will transform that match into a completely different occasion. Beyond the friendly nature, it will be the last opportunity to see him defending the colors of a national team with which he built the most important stage of his international career.
As that farewell approaches, Scaloni has an opportunity to start finding answers. The absence of the No. 10 frees up space and responsibility for players who must show whether they are ready to assume greater prominence in the next cycle.
Bolivia will be the first exam of that transition. Then come Burkina Faso and, finally, Benin, when Messi returns one last time. Argentina thus begins to look toward a new generation, although before that it will have one last match reserved to bid farewell to the player who forever changed the history of the Albiceleste.
That said, the match against Benin will also be played in a rather unusual atmosphere. The Cheetahs have faced several problems leading up to the match, as Megasport revealed.
The facilities were far from ideal. The players had no hot water at the hotel, the sauna was out of order, equipment was lacking, and the artificial turf training pitch and fitness room were inadequate for a professional team. Furthermore, the Benin national team took a 23-hour economy flight, and video analyst Jonas Bide suffered a blackout.
Lionel Messi Sends Clear Message Before Argentina Farewell vs. Benin