Last Tango: Messi playing final match for Argentina

The "Last Tango" is underway. Lionel Messi is playing his final match for Argentina - a friendly against Benin in Buenos Aires - to bring down the curtain on an iconic international career. Follow below for updates.

Monumental ovation

The match was halted in the 10th minute - Messi's shirt number - to allow the entire stadium (and the players on the pitch) to pay tribute to the left-footed magician that many regard as soccer's GOAT.

Tell the grandkids about it

Sessi D'Almeida will never forget this moment. The 30-year-old midfielder, serving as Benin's captain Tuesday in place of injured skipper Steve Mounie, presented Messi with a gift ahead of the match.

D'Almeida will surely be talking about that photo for years to come.

'Gracias 10'

Ahead of the opening kickoff, Messi was welcomed onto the pitch with an enormous commemorative jersey displaying a simple message of thanks for his 21 years of service to the Albiceleste.

Manager Lionel Scaloni, who's been at the helm of the squad throughout Messi's most successful years with the national team, was in tears as the Argentine anthem played.

The match kicked off 30 minutes behind its 7 p.m. ET scheduled start, but considering the occasion, everyone will give organizers a pass on this one.

Epic atmosphere

The atmosphere inside the Estadio Monumental was electric well before kickoff, with Messi's family in attendance to witness the event alongside roughly 85,000 adoring spectators:

Pregame notes

Messi, 39, announced he was retiring from the Albiceleste in August, weeks after Argentina's 1-0 loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.

In an open letter that Messi said he wrote two days after that extra-time defeat in the United States, he acknowledged it was the right time to step away, but admitted the decision hurt "deep inside."

Messi, who's still playing at the club level with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, reunited with the national team last week for his farewell match. The Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said the contest versus Benin will ensure "the best player in the world gets the home send-off he truly deserves."

The match is Messi's record-extending 208th for Argentina.

He's the nation's all-time leading scorer with 125 goals and has led his country to three World Cup finals, lifting the trophy in Qatar in 2022. He's also claimed two Copa America titles (2021 and 2024) and an Olympic gold medal (2008) while wearing Argentina's famous blue and white shirt.

"Messi leaves behind something unequaled," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said ahead of Tuesday's celebratory match. "We have to keep playing, but the feeling of having him on the pitch is unique. I've never seen anyone else convey what he does on a football field, and that is what we're going to miss."

Members of Argentina's 2022 World Cup-winning squad will be in attendance for the emotional occasion at the Estadio Monumental.