Fans were far more enthused with how the Argentina FA conducted Lionel Messi’s farewell as the legend ended his Albiceleste career by scoring in a 3-0 friendly win over Benin in Buenos Aires on Tuesday (October 6).
Messi, 39, left his mark in what was his final game in Albiceleste colours, setting up the opening two goals – scored by Nicolas Otamendi and Nico Paz after the break – before scoring from the spot late on.
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The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner also hit the post late on and fired a free-kick over as he ended his international career with 126 goals and 70 assists in 208 games across competitions.
However, fans reckoned Lionel Messi deserved a better Argentina farewell than the one he received:
“Whoever organised Messi’s farewell needs to be kicked out,” one tweeted.
“I hope it’s the reverse camera effect, but they had Messi ironically kicking with his right foot, unbelievable,” another commented.
“So very poor, so very tacky! He deserved a better farewell! I hope that Barcelona give it to him the way he truly deserves it,” one posted.
“Lionel Messi had the worst farewell in the national team. Very lackluster, such a shame because he deserved so much more,” another wrote.
“Totally aside from whatever jokes there might be, I think Messi deserved a much bigger farewell. I don’t know about you all, but I didn’t see them give him so much as a plaque or anything from the AFA,” one posted.
“Humbly speaking, the farewell was a total screw-up. If the Monumental didn’t have a screen, they should’ve done it somewhere else. The guy played 20 years for the national team; you can’t make a video with all his moments from start to finish. Don’t even get me started on the drones and the goat thing, which was a complete embarrassment,” one tweeted.
“The emptiness this farewell left me with was a total disgrace, but not out of sadness. They didn’t rise to the occasion of the player he is, nor of what he means to so many people. That drone show was godawful, the Sancor Seguros thing. It had zero emotion, even Messi wanted to get out of there,” another wrote.
Shortly after scoring from the spot, Lionel Messi was sent clean through on goal, but his effort from a promising position went wide.
Argentina’s Nicolas Otamendi shares heartfelt tribute to Lionel Messi as duo retire from international football
Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi penned a heartfelt tribute to Lionel Messi as the duo played their last game for the national team in Buenos Aires against Benin on Tuesday.
Marking his final Albiceleste appearance with a goal, Otamendi was effusive in his praise for Messi, who ended a legendary 21-year career with a goal and two assists:
“If this day was already special, sharing it with Leo Messi makes it even more unforgettable,” Otamendi wrote on Instagram (as per Albiceleste Talk). “The greatest player of all time, the one who taught us to never stop believing, to get back up after every setback, and to defend this shirt with our hearts.
“What a privilege it has been to share part of this journey and to witness a story that will live forever in football and in the hearts of all Argentines. Thank you, Argentina, for everything. Thank you for making me feel this pride of wearing the sky blue and white. A shirt for a lifetime.”
Both Lionel Messi and Nicolas Otamendi are set to remain active in club football for a while despite playing their final games for Argentina.
Edited by Bhargav