Sofia Quijada
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Argentine football turns a page within hours. In Buenos Aires, a 39-year-old Lionel Messi plays his final match for the national team against Benin, closing a chapter that has defined a generation.
“The Flea” will mark his 208th international appearance on the night, and he’s hoping to add one last goal to his Argentina tally of 125. What comes next is life after Messi, even if the number 10 leaves a mark that will outlast his playing days.
TyC Sports point out that Messi leaves behind five records with Argentina that will be almost impossible to break in the coming years, unless a new Messi emerges from the academies of Rosario or elsewhere.
Top Scorer for Argentina
The first record is simple: 125 goals for the national team, a figure that could still rise tonight. Messi looks set to remain Argentina’s all-time top scorer for a long stretch. Among current players, his closest rival is Lautaro Martinez, who has only 42 goals. The gap is so wide that catching Messi would require another decade of prolific scoring from a single player.
Most Capped Player in History
The second record stands at 207 international matches, a number that reaches 208 tonight. No one in Argentina’s history has played more for the Albiceleste. His nearest challengers, Javier Mascherano on 147 and Angel Di Maria on 145, have both retired from international football already.
World Cup Appearances and Goals
Third on the list is the record for most World Cup appearances by an Argentine, with 34 matches across five tournaments.
Fourth came the most goals scored at a World Cup for Argentina, 21 in total, a tally built across campaigns from Germany 2006 through Qatar 2022.
Qualifying Goals Shared With Suarez
The fifth record belongs jointly to Messi and Luis Suarez: the most goals scored in South American World Cup qualifiers. The Argentine and the Uruguayan have 31 goals apiece in this category.
Their closest rivals trail by a wide margin. Marcelo Moreno Martins sits on 22, Hernan Crespo on 19, Alexis Sanchez on 20 and Edinson Cavani on 17. None of them still play for their national teams, which locks those totals in place for now.
Five records, one farewell match, and a legacy that will take years to fully measure. Follow TipsGG for continued coverage of Messi’s final appearance and everything shaping Argentine football next.