Agency, Oct 7: Argentine superstar Lionel Messi ended his international career in style, scoring a goal and providing an assist as Argentina defeated Benin 3–0 in a friendly on Wednesday morning.
Playing at the Estadio Monumental, Argentina secured a memorable farewell for their captain. Nicolás Otamendi opened the scoring in the 48th minute, heading Argentina into the lead after a goalless first half.
Messi then played a key role in the second goal, setting up Nico Paz in the 61st minute to double Argentina’s advantage. The veteran forward completed the scoring in the 71st minute, converting a penalty to seal a comfortable 3–0 victory.
Messi had previously announced his decision to retire from international football. He made his Argentina debut in 2005 and went on to make 207 appearances for the national team, scoring 126 goals.
With that tally, Messi ranks second among the highest-scoring players in men’s international football. Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo leads the list with 146 goals.
