From Painful Debut to World Champion Title: L. Messi Bids Farewell to the National Team

2026-10-06 19:03 © AFP

This night at 2:00 AM Lithuanian time, Lionel Messi will play his last match for the Argentina national team.

It will be just a friendly match against the team from Benin, but the Argentines will have a special opportunity to bid farewell to a legend who once again allowed the country to dream and fulfilled even the boldest dreams.

However, M. Messi's career with the Argentina national team since his debut in 2005 has not been easy. Over more than two decades, he has experienced painful losses, faced criticism, briefly retired from the national team, but ultimately achieved everything he dreamed of.

2005 – a difficult debut

Messi's debut for the national team turned into a nightmare. After a conflict with Hungary's defender Vilmos Vanczak, referee Markus Merk showed the Argentine a direct red card.

2006 – first World Championship

Messi shone in the World Championship match against Serbia and Montenegro, but in the quarter-finals against Germany, he remained on the bench. Argentina ultimately exited the tournament after a penalty shootout.

2007 – first big final

In the Copa America final, Argentina lost 0:3 to Brazil. Young Messi was already facing criticism at that time, even though he was not yet the leader of the national team.

2010 – painful defeat to Germany

Diego Maradona entrusted Messi with the role of team leader, but in the World Championship quarter-finals, Argentina lost 0:4 to Germany. Messi did not score a single goal in the tournament.

2011 – fan criticism

In the Copa America tournament held in Argentina, the national team lost to Uruguay in the quarter-finals after a penalty shootout. Messi faced particularly harsh criticism from fans and was labeled as "pecho frio" – a player unable to show his best performance on the national team.

2014 – just a step away from the World Champion title

In Brazil, Messi and Argentina reached the World Championship final. However, after extra time, they lost 0:1 to Germany, and Messi could not replicate Diego Maradona's triumph.

2015 – yet another lost final

In the Copa America final, Argentina lost to Chile after a penalty shootout. Following this defeat, discussions about Messi's future in the national team intensified.

2016 – Messi's retirement

In the Copa America Centenario final, Messi missed a penalty, and Argentina again lost to Chile. After a second consecutive final defeat, Messi emotionally announced his retirement from the Argentina national team.

2018 – failure in Russia

Messi returned to the national team and helped it qualify for the World Championship, but in the Round of 16, Argentina lost 3:4 to France. Kylian Mbappe shone in that match.

2019 – the Brazil barrier

In the Copa America semi-finals, Argentina lost to Brazil. Messi scored only one goal in the tournament, and the trophy remained unclaimed once again.

2021 – finally won a trophy

A breakthrough occurred. With coach Lionel Scaloni at the helm, Argentina defeated Brazil at the Maracana stadium and won the Copa America. Soon after, Messi and the team triumphed in the Finalissima tournament, defeating Italy in the final.

2022 – the long-awaited World Champion title

The World Championship in Qatar became the pinnacle of Messi's career. In a dramatic final, Argentina overcame France after a penalty shootout, claiming their third World Champion title. Messi finally fulfilled his greatest dream.

2024 – yet another Copa America trophy

Argentina triumphed in the Copa America tournament for the second consecutive time. In the final, they defeated Colombia, and Messi and the team claimed yet another important title.

2026 – the last chapter

At the age of 39, Messi stepped onto the field for his sixth World Championship. In the final, Argentina lost to Spain after extra time, with Spain claiming their second World Champion title.