Thousands of emotional fans gathered at Buenos Aires' Monumental stadium and surrounding fan zones on Tuesday (October 6) to witness Lionel Messi's farewell from Argentina's national team, with many moved to tears as the 39-year-old legend played his final international match.

Argentina defeated Benin 3-0, with Messi providing two assists before converting a penalty in the 70th minute, capping a 208-match career that delivered 126 goals and unprecedented glory for the nation.

The evening concluded with spectacular fireworks and a drone show that formed Messi's iconic number 10 jersey and an image of him holding the World Cup trophy above the stadium.

The emotional ceremony featured tributes comparing Messi to Diego Maradona, with supporters displaying banners reading "Thank You Messi" and "Crowned in Glory." Messi told the crowd it was "the saddest day" of his career, expressing his wish he could play for Argentina forever while acknowledging the time had come to step aside.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (OCTOBER 6, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all) (NIGHT SHOTS)

1. VARIOUS OF FIREWORKS AT THE STADIUM WHERE FOOTBALLER, LIONEL MESSI, PLAYED HIS LAST MATCH WITH THE ARGENTINA NATIONAL TEAM

2. VARIOUS OF FANS CRYING WHILE WATCHING THE FAREWELL AT A FAN FEST LOCATED NEAR THE STADIUM

3. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DOCTOR, MARIA GALLARDO, SAYING:

"I was crying until just now saying goodbye to the greatest of all time, but not only as a player. For me, Messi - I'm 72 years old and I like football, I love football - and he is much more than football. He is a humble guy, a good person, who set an example for young people and all Argentinians. I'm really crying because of that, I cry because an era is ending. I feel happy because I know these kids will continue and I'm very emotional, really. I thank all the public for having said goodbye to him like this. I didn't get tickets, that's why I came here, and I believe he left us standing very high in the world."

4. FIREWORKS SEEN FROM OUTSIDE THE STADIUM

5. VARIOUS OF DRONES ABOVE THE STADIUM FORMING THE NUMBER 10 WITH THE ARGENTINA NATIONAL TEAM JERSEY

6. DRONES FORMING THE IMAGE OF MESSI HOLDING THE WORLD CUP

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SOCCER FAN, JUAN IGNACIO PEREZ, SAYING:

"It's an enormous joy to have been here, to have lived through an epic era with him. Well, he's a guy who is an example; he taught us a lot on and off the field. So, well, eternally grateful. As an Argentine, he gave us back an identity, a pride that hadn't been seen for a long time. May he be immensely happy."

8. FLAG WITH ARGENTINA'S COLORS, THE FALKLANDS (MALVINAS) ISLANDS AND WORDS READING (Spanish): “CROWNED IN GLORY”

9. ARGENTINA FLAG WAVING ABOVE CROWD

10. VARIOUS OF A FAN WEARING ITEM WITH IMAGE OF MESSI AND MARADONA TOGETHER

11. VARIOUS OF FANS HOLDING ARGENTINA FLAG WITH WORDS READING (Spanish): “THANK YOU MESSI”

12. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) POLICE OFFICER, DENIS RAMOA, SAYING:

"I believe that more than a player, he's an incredible person who gave us many values, like never giving up, always trying, which I think is the fundamental thing he leaves us. He, being the greatest figure as he is historically, gives us the lesson that we must always try until we achieve what we want."

13. VARIOUS OF FANS CELEBRATING MESSI'S GOAL IN HIS LAST MATCH WITH THE ARGENTINA NATIONAL TEAM

14. CUTOUT OF MESSI

15. FANS CELEBRATING AND JUMPING

16. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BIOCHEMIST, EMILIA OJEDA, SAYING:

"Messi is an idol, he's the greatest and I think he did something that is quite rare here in Argentina, which is unite all Argentinians. Whoever you meet in the street, we're united by the love and pride of Messi and how he represents Argentina abroad and everything he did. He really is an example to follow as an athlete, as a person, he has great humility and it's very beautiful to see how all the children follow him."

17. FAN HUGGING A CHILD DURING MESSI'S WORDS IN THE STADIUM

18. EMOTIONAL COUPLE LISTENING TO MESSI'S WORDS OF GRATITUDE TO THE PUBLIC

19. CHILD CRYING AND APPLAUDING