Tears before the last tango! Messi breaks down crying on the team bus ahead of farewell game
There will not be a dry eye in Buenos Aires. Emotional footage circulating on social media shows Lionel Messi in tears on the Argentina team bus as he made his way to the Estadio Monumental for his farewell match against Benin, the final chapter of a 21-year international career.
Details: The video, published late on Monday night, captures the 39-year-old captain visibly overcome by emotion while seated among his teammates. The tears come after an unbearable year for Messi: he lost his father Jorge just weeks after the heartbreaking World Cup final defeat to Spain in July, and on the eve of the match he delivered a farewell message to supporters in which he said he leaves 'in peace' because he 'gave it his all'.
The occasion has been months in the making. Messi announced his international retirement on August 31, closing a career that brought the 2021 and 2024 Copa América titles, the 2022 Finalissima and the immortal 2022 World Cup triumph in Qatar. The Argentine Football Association responded by organizing a grand farewell at the Monumental, inviting the entire 2022 World Cup-winning squad and their families, and freezing the sacred No.10 shirt until the captain wore it one last time.
More than 85,000 spectators packed the stadium for what the AFA called 'the last tango' of the best player in the world, with a 'Gracias, Leo' fan fest organized across Buenos Aires. Tributes poured in from every corner of the football planet, including an emotional letter from Neymar, who wrote that the whole world thanks Messi for everything he has given to the game.
It's worth noting that Messi bows out as Argentina's record appearance-maker and all-time leading scorer, with 125 goals in what was set to become his 208th and final cap. Although his body has struggled at times, no one in football history has squeezed more artistry, silverware and joy into an international career.
Reminder: The moment has arrived! Messi delivers heartbreaking message before his final Argentina match
Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
