Lionel Messi has closed the most important international chapter of his football career, leaving the Argentina national team with a record that is difficult to imagine being matched.
After 21 years in the famous blue and white shirt, Messi finished with 208 appearances, 126 goals and 70 assists, making him Argentina’s most capped player and all time leading goalscorer. His final appearance came against Benin at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, where he scored once and provided two assists in a 3-0 victory.
It was a fitting conclusion to a career that began in 2005 with a difficult introduction to international football. Messi made his senior Argentina debut against Hungary as an 18 year old and was sent off shortly after coming onto the pitch. More than two decades later, he walked away from the same national team as its greatest goalscorer, record appearance holder and one of the most decorated players in the history of international football.
The journey between those two moments was anything but simple.
For many years, Messi’s Argentina career was defined by near misses. He reached the Copa América final in 2007 and later suffered defeats in the 2014 World Cup final and the 2015 and 2016 Copa América finals. The repeated disappointments created an uncomfortable debate around his international legacy, despite everything he had already achieved at club level.
The breakthrough finally came in 2021.
Argentina defeated Brazil 1-0 at the Maracanã to win the Copa América, giving Messi his first major senior international trophy. The triumph ended a long wait for Argentina and changed the relationship between Messi and supporters who had spent years demanding international success.
A year later, Argentina added the Finalissima to its trophy cabinet by defeating Italy at Wembley.
Then came the achievement that completed Messi’s international story.
At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Argentina defeated France in one of the greatest finals in World Cup history. The match finished 3-3 after extra time, with Messi scoring twice before Argentina eventually won on penalties.
Messi finished that tournament with seven goals and was named the World Cup Golden Ball winner, having previously received the same award at the 2014 tournament. He therefore became the first player to win the World Cup’s best player award twice.
The Qatar triumph was particularly significant because it answered the biggest question that had followed Messi throughout his international career.
Could he win the World Cup with Argentina?
The answer was finally yes.
And he did it as captain.
Messi did not stop collecting major honours after Qatar. In 2024, Argentina defeated Colombia to win another Copa América title, giving him two Copa América trophies and strengthening Argentina’s dominance during his era.
His achievements with Argentina actually stretch beyond the senior national team.
Before becoming a World Cup winner, Messi had already helped Argentina win the 2005 FIFA U20 World Cup. He finished that tournament as both the Golden Boot winner and Golden Ball winner. Three years later, he won Olympic gold with Argentina at the 2008 Beijing Games.
That means Messi leaves Argentina with six major international titles when the U20 World Cup and Olympic gold are included. His four senior honours are the 2021 Copa América, 2022 Finalissima, 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2024 Copa América.
His World Cup record is equally extraordinary.
Messi played at six World Cups, from Germany 2006 through the 2026 tournament. He appeared in 34 World Cup matches and scored 21 goals. He reached three finals, winning in Qatar in 2022 and finishing runner up in 2014 and 2026.
He also holds the record for the most World Cup appearances by an Argentine player and became the player with the most World Cup wins. His 2022 campaign was particularly historic because he scored in every knockout round from the last 16 through the final.
Messi’s Copa América numbers are just as impressive.
He played 39 matches across seven editions, the most appearances by any player in the history of the competition, and scored 14 goals. He reached five finals, winning the last two in 2021 and 2024.
He also became the tournament’s leading appearance maker and established himself among its most influential players across different generations.
In South American World Cup qualifying, Messi leaves another significant record. His 36 goals in 72 appearances make him the all time leading goalscorer in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying.
Then there are the individual awards.
Messi has won the Ballon d’Or eight times, more than any other footballer. His victories came in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
The awards span almost his entire career and reflect his extraordinary consistency at the highest level. The 2023 Ballon d’Or was especially significant because it recognised his World Cup winning campaign with Argentina in Qatar.
His international individual honours extend beyond the Ballon d’Or. Messi won the World Cup Golden Ball in 2014 and 2022, while he also collected major individual recognition at the Copa América during his career.
His influence can also be measured by his ability to create goals for others. By the time he left the Argentina team, he had recorded 70 assists, meaning his direct contribution went far beyond his 126 goals.
That combination of scoring and creating explains why Messi became so central to Argentina’s success.
He was not simply the player expected to score.
He was the player expected to create, control, decide and carry responsibility when the pressure was greatest.
His final appearance provided one last demonstration.
Against Benin, Messi created Argentina’s opening goal for Nicolás Otamendi before setting up Nico Paz for the second. He then converted a penalty for the third goal, finishing his international career with a goal and two assists.
The statistics from his Argentina career tell a remarkable story.
208 appearances.
126 goals.
70 assists.
Six World Cups.
Seven Copa América tournaments.
Four senior international trophies.
Two World Cup Golden Balls.
Two Copa América titles.
One FIFA World Cup.
One Finalissima.
One Olympic gold medal.
One U20 World Cup.
And eight Ballon d’Or awards across his wider career.
Yet numbers alone cannot fully explain what Messi accomplished with Argentina.
His international career began with a red card and years of frustration. It continued through painful defeats, criticism and the pressure of being compared with some of the greatest players in Argentina’s history.
Eventually, the same player who was once questioned for not winning enough with his country became the captain who delivered the World Cup.
He leaves Argentina with almost every major international honour available to him and with records that could remain untouched for years.
More importantly, Messi leaves having changed the meaning of his own Argentina story.
He was once the prodigy expected to become a national hero.
Then he became the player expected to rescue Argentina.
Eventually, he became the captain who lifted the World Cup.
And now, after 21 years, 208 appearances and 126 goals, Lionel Messi leaves the national team as a champion, record holder and one of the defining figures in the history of Argentine football.
His final night ended with a victory over Benin.
His final contribution was a goal and two assists.
His final record is extraordinary.
And his legacy with Argentina is complete.
