The day that millions of Lionel Messi fans all over the world were dreading came and became a part of history books. Messi, who is arguably the greatest to set foot on the field, played his farewell game for Argentina on Tuesday against Benin (a country in West Africa).
Argentina won the match 3-0, with Messi assisting two goals and scoring one from the spot. Messi netting a goal in his final appearance for his country left the fans home happy and emotional, marking a fairy-tale ending to an illustrious career.
Messi ended his chapter with the national side with 208 games, scoring 126 goals. In the process, he won a plethora of accolades, with the team and for his individual brilliance as well. Considering he has bid an emotional goodbye to the national team, it cannot be a better occasion to take a look at all he has achieved with Argentina.
2022 FIFA World Cup: The biggest prize of them all
If there is one achievement that stands above everything else, it is Messi winning the FIFA World Cup with Argentina in Qatar in 2022.
Argentina started the tournament with a shock defeat to Saudi Arabia but recovered brilliantly. Messi scored seven goals during the tournament and played a starring role throughout Argentina’s run.
The final against France became one of the greatest World Cup finals ever. Messi scored twice as Argentina drew 3-3 after extra time before winning the penalty shootout.
For Messi, it was more than just another trophy. It was the trophy that had been missing from his career. He also won the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament, becoming the first player to win the award twice.
Copa America 2021: Messi finally wins a senior international trophy
Before the World Cup triumph, Messi had already endured several painful experiences with Argentina. He lost the 2014 World Cup final and then suffered back-to-back Copa America final defeats in 2015 and 2016. That changed in 2021.
Argentina defeated Brazil 1-0 at the Maracana to win the Copa America, giving Messi his first major senior international trophy with the national team. It was an emotional moment for Messi, who had faced years of criticism over his failure to win a major trophy with Argentina.
Finalissima 2022: Another trophy before the World Cup
Messi and Argentina continued their incredible run in 2022 by defeating European champions Italy 3-0 at Wembley in the Finalissima. While the tournament was not on the same level as the World Cup or Copa America, it added another international trophy to Argentina’s growing collection.
It also showed that Argentina were no longer the team that kept falling short in big finals.
Copa America 2024: Argentina retain their crown
Messi’s Argentina story did not end with the World Cup. In 2024, Argentina won the Copa America again, defeating Colombia 1-0 after extra time in the final.
Messi had to leave the pitch in tears after suffering an ankle injury during the match, but Argentina went on to secure the trophy. The victory made Argentina the reigning Copa America and World Cup champions at the same time.
Olympic Gold and U-20 World Cup glory
Messi’s success with Argentina started long before his senior international trophies. In 2005, he helped Argentina win the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Messi was outstanding during the tournament, winning both the Golden Ball and Golden Boot.
Three years later, he won Olympic gold with Argentina at the Beijing 2008 Games.
While these achievements came at youth and Olympic level, they were early signs of what Messi would eventually achieve with the senior national team.
Argentina’s all-time leading scorer and most-capped player
Messi’s legacy is not only about trophies. He has also rewritten Argentina’s record books. He is Argentina’s all-time leading scorer and their most-capped player. His longevity has allowed him to play across multiple generations and remain the centrepiece of the national team for more than a decade.
His numbers are even more remarkable considering how much pressure he faced during the early years of his international career.
A career that changed completely
Messi’s Argentina journey is perhaps one of the most fascinating stories in football. For years, the biggest criticism against him was that he had not won anything with Argentina. He was compared with Diego Maradona and questioned every time the national team failed to win a major tournament.
Then came 2021. Copa America was followed by the Finalissima, then the World Cup and eventually another Copa America title.
The player who once walked away from international football after another final defeat eventually became the leader of an Argentina team that won four major senior trophies in three years. And that is why Messi’s achievements with Argentina go beyond the trophies.
He went from being the player who was constantly asked “What has he won with Argentina?” to becoming the captain who led the country to the biggest prizes in international football.