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Lionel Messi is poised to bid farewell to Argentina on Tuesday as the world champions take on Benin in a friendly at Buenos Aires’ Estadio Monumental, bringing down the curtain on one of the greatest international careers in football.
The 39-year-old has spent two decades wearing the Argentina shirt, winning the 2022 World Cup, Copa América in 2021 and 2024, and Olympic gold in 2008. He is also Argentina’s record international goalscorer with 125 goals and guided the team to the 2014 World Cup final.
“Messi leaves behind something unequaled,” coach Lionel Scaloni said, describing the forward’s presence as impossible to replace.
Scaloni, who is reportedly close to extending his contract, believes Argentina can remain a major force even after Messi’s departure.
“The Argentine national team will endure. We will remain at a high level, I have no doubt about that,” he said.
Argentina have already offered a glimpse of what lies ahead, winning their first two matches without Messi last week. They beat Bolivia 4-0 before cruising past Burkina Faso 7-0.
The team still has plenty of experience, with goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, defender Cristian Romero, midfielder Enzo Fernández and striker Lautaro Martínez expected to remain central to the side.
At the same time, a group of young players is beginning to emerge. Nicolás Paz, Franco Mastantuono, Gianluca Prestianni and Leonel Flores are among those pushing for bigger roles.
Paz, who plays for Como in Italy, scored against Burkina Faso, while Flores, a Boca Juniors academy graduate who only recently made his professional debut, has already been handed a chance at senior international level.
“There’s a changing of the guard,” Argentina supporter Cristian Versalles told AP. “Maybe we have to play differently now, not thinking in terms of ‘Messi and 10 others,’ but rather as a unified team.”
Lautaro Martínez is also moving up Argentina’s scoring charts. His goal against Burkina Faso took his international tally to 42, leaving him third on the country’s all-time list.
For Argentina supporters, Tuesday will be an emotional farewell to a player who defined an era. Yet there is also growing belief that the world champions have enough talent to remain competitive.
Argentina’s next major challenge in the post-Messi era will come at the 2028 Copa América.