Lionel Messi bid an emotional farewell to Argentina fans on Thursday night, confirming that the 3–0 World Cup qualifying victory over Venezuela would be his final competitive match on home soil.
The Inter Miami star took the opportunity to reflect on how the love and admiration he now receives from his country mirrors the affection he enjoyed at Barcelona.
Argentina had already sealed their place at the 2026 World Cup, turning the night at River Plate’s iconic Estadio Monumental into a celebration of Messi’s legacy. Fans filled the stadium with chants of his name, creating an atmosphere closer to a testimonial than a qualifier.
On the pitch, Messi’s younger teammates seemed determined to set up their captain for a storybook ending. Julián Álvarez, who once asked Messi for a selfie as a 12-year-old, assisted the opening goal before Lautaro Martínez doubled the lead. Fittingly, Messi closed the night with his second strike which is the 114th goal of his legendary international career.
“There were a lot of emotions,” Messi admitted after the match. “I knew it was the last time here for the points. I experienced many things on this pitch, good and not so good, but I’ll take the best with me. Being able to finish this way here is what I always dreamed of.”
For years, Messi struggled to win over Argentine fans, who criticized his inability to replicate his Barcelona brilliance with the national team. That perception shifted after he lifted the Copa América in 2021 and then the World Cup in 2022, sealing his place as Argentina’s greatest ever.
Messi himself acknowledged the transformation: “For many years I had the love in Barcelona, and I still have it. My dream was to have it here, in my country, with my people. Everything we experienced was beautiful.”
The night symbolized a full-circle moment and the boy who left Argentina at 13 to grow into a legend in Barcelona finally received the same unconditional love from his homeland.
