Lionel Messi ended his 21-year international career on Tuesday in Buenos Aires, bidding farewell to Argentina fans with a 3-0 victory over Benin. The 39-year-old scored his 126th international goal from the penalty spot in the 71st minute before 85,000 supporters at Monumental Stadium.
In his record-extending 208th appearance, in a match billed as The Last Tango, he assisted Nicolas Otamendi's opening goal, and Nico Paz scored the other. Messi took the field with his three children.
His wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and his mother, Celia Cuccittini, watched from a VIP box. "It was a huge source of pride for me to defend this jersey for more than 20 years," he told fans after the match.
Shortly before kick-off, a giant Argentina jersey bearing the word Gracias above his No. 10 was laid on the pitch. Play stopped in the 10th minute, in tribute to his famous shirt number, for a minute-long ovation for the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain player.
His final appearance crowned a historic career that left an indelible legacy in international football.