Lionel Messi is not precisely a very outspoken person. In fact, he is the contrary of that. However, after his farewell match with Argentina, where he scored against Benin, he took the microphone and gave a heart-wrenching, emotional farewell speech.
More than 80.000 fans in attendance were near tears as Messi spoke candidly about what it means to represent Argentina at the maximum level. “Not coming here anymore and no longer being with the Argentina National Team is going to hurt a lot. If it were up to me, I would love to be here for my entire life, because playing for Argentina is the most beautiful thing there is.“
However, then Messi explained that the last World Cup took a heavy toll on him. “I think the time has come for me to retire. The last World Cup took a lot out of us after everything we went through. We arrived in the final with just enough left in us, but we fought until the very end, like we always did,” Messi said.
Messi leaves an incredible legacy behind, and a sense of pride for the Argentina shirt
“In 2022, we had the dream of fulfilling not only my dream, but the dream of an entire country: becoming world champions again. And we did it. “We won the World Cup, the Copa América, the Finalissima… I’m incredibly grateful for everything I experienced with this National Team,” Messi stated with immense pride. The standard was at an all-time high and he delivered.
🚨🎙️ LEO MESSI FULL SPEECH:
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) October 7, 2026
"I have nothing left to do but thank this shirt. For 20 years, even through the worst moments, I never stopped fighting, pushing forward, giving everything I had and wanting to be here.
"Not coming here anymore and no longer being with the Argentina… pic.twitter.com/SZ5qflVFQN
“Every time we stepped onto the pitch, I knew we could compete against anyone because I had warriors beside me who were willing to leave absolutely everything out there. To achieve the biggest things, you need a strong group.” Messi commanded the new generation to stay close to each other, to be united, and fight for a common goal.
Messi trusts in Argentina’s successors
“I’m going to miss all of you so much, but I’ll always be on your side. I’ll be supporting these boys and everyone who comes after them,” Messi said. It was a tear-jerker moment at the highest of levels.
Now, it’s time for those who are next to live up to Messi’s expectations. Messi’s tally of goals and assists with Argentina is unprecedented. Messi left a full winning heritage on the Argentina national team, and now it’s up to the newer generation to keep fighting for silverware.
