Messi and Argentina: The Numbers Behind a 21-Year Story That Ended with a Goal

The story of Messi and Argentina has come to an end. Lionel Messi, 39, played his last match with the national team on Tuesday, October 6, scoring a penalty goal and providing two assists in the 3-0 victory over Benín, in a farewell friendly at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, in front of more than 80,000 people, according to AFP.

• He ended his career with 208 matches and 126 goals, records for the Argentine national team, according to ESPN and AFP.
• He won four titles with the senior national team: two Copa América titles, one Finalissima, and one World Cup.

Why it matters: This marks the end of 21 years of international career for one of the greatest players in history, who currently plays for Inter Miami and won his last Copa América in Miami Gardens, Florida.

A Fitting Farewell

Messi played the full 90 minutes. His corner kick led to the first goal, scored by Nicolás Otamendi, who also bid farewell to the national team. Then, he assisted Nico Paz for the 2-0 goal, and at 71 minutes, he sealed the win with a penalty kick to the corner: his 126th goal with Argentina, according to ESPN’s match summary.

Messi had announced his retirement on Monday, August 31, in a letter published on Instagram, according to AP. CNN en Español reported that he wrote the text on July 21, two days after losing the World Cup final, and made it public after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, on August 8. «I’m empty, I have nothing left to give, and besides, great young players are coming up who deserve to be here,» he wrote.

His Numbers with the National Team

• Matches: 208, the most in Argentine history.
• Goals: 126, also a record for the country. Only Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo, with 146, has more goals with his national team, according to FotMob and the BBC.
• Assists: 70, according to AFP; 69, according to Indian media outlet Sportstar. Assist numbers vary by source.
• World Cups: he played in six, from Germany 2006 to North America 2026. He scored 21 goals in World Cups, second in history behind French player Kylian Mbappé (22), according to the BBC.

From Expulsion in Budapest to Four Titles

It all started on August 17, 2005, in Budapest. In a friendly match that Argentina won 2-1 against Hungary, Messi, 18, entered in the second half and was expelled seconds later. Then came years of lost finals: the 2007 Copa América, the 2014 World Cup in Brazil against Germany, and the 2015 and 2016 Copa América against Chile. After the last one, in 2016, he announced his first retirement, from which he returned shortly after.

With Lionel Scaloni as coach, the titles arrived:

• Copa América 2021: 1-0 against Brazil at the Maracaná, with a goal by Ángel Di María, on July 10, 2021.
• Finalissima 2022: 3-0 against Italy, the European champion, at Wembley Stadium in London, on June 1, 2022.
• Qatar 2022 World Cup: 3-3 against France on December 18, 2022, and a 4-2 win in penalties. Messi scored two goals in the final.
• Copa América 2024: 1-0 against Colombia in extra time, with a goal by Lautaro Martínez, on July 14, 2024, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

With the youth national team, he also won the 2005 Under-20 World Cup and the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The Last World Cup: Runner-Up

In the 2026 World Cup, Messi scored 8 goals and provided 4 assists, according to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), which named him the tournament’s best player. In the semifinal, he provided two assists in the 2-1 win against England.

The final, on Sunday, July 19, at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, ended 1-0 for Spain in extra time, with a goal by Ferran Torres at 106 minutes. Argentina played with 10 men from the end of regular time after Enzo Fernández was expelled, according to ESPN. For the Argentine Football Association (AFA), Messi left the tournament as the all-time leading assister in World Cup history.

What’s Next

Messi continues to play for Inter Miami in the MLS. His farewell to the national team also included an off-field tribute: on the same day, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Buenos Aires, according to AFP.

Sources: VAVEL; ESPN: Argentina vs. Benín; ESPN Deportes; AFP via France 24; AP; CNN en Español; ESPN: 2026 World Cup final; AFA; Olé; FotMob; BBC Sport; Sportstar. Data consulted on October 8, 2026.