Lionel Messi signed off from international football with a goal on Tuesday night in a 3-0 friendly win against Benin in Buenos Aires.
Messi's 208th and final game for Argentina ended with his 126th goal as the legendary No. 10 played his last game in international soccer after 21 years, two Copa América titles and a World Cup.
The script called for at least one more goal from Messi, and the 39-year-old duly delivered. With a wave of his left foot, he emphatically dispatched a penalty into the roof of the net in the 71st minute, cuing up the sold-out crowd at the Estadio Monumental to rejoice with a collective chant of "Messi, Messi."
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Following the final whistle, the sky above the Monumental was lit up by a drone show highlighting moments from Messi's career, including the most famous of image of all — holding the World Cup trophy in Qatar in 2022.
Here are 21 things that happened before, during, and after the event.
- ESPN
