‘Worthy of a legend’: the world reacts to Messi’s Argentina farewell

Argentine football legend Lionel Messi waved goodbye to the national team on Tuesday, putting an end to his 21 years with the Albiceleste. The news of his final match made headlines around the world, with several of the biggest sports outlets reporting it as their top news story.

In Argentina, the match was the main story of the day all Tuesday. After the game, La Nación called it “the legend of the impossible man,” adding Messi “knocked on the door of eternity” on the night football said thank you. His farewell, they wrote, “will remain etched in the memories of the 85,000 people who packed the Monumental stadium.”

Clarín said Messi left “an indelible mark” on the Argentine fans. The newspaper described the farewell game as “the night he embraced an entire nation.”

In the U.S., ESPN called it “an emotional send-off worthy of a legend,” saying that there was “hardly a dry eye in the house” among the 85,000-strong crowd.

Italy’s Corriere dello Sport called it the “end of an era,” highlighting Messi’s performance in the match. “That is how the king bade farewell to Argentina,” they wrote, adding that “Buenos Aires weeps, and the whole world weeps with it.”

La Gazzetta dello Sport highlighted the drone show after the game as well as the tears on head coach Lionel Scaloni’s face. The Italian outlet branded it “Messi’s last tango with Argentina,” quoting Argentine tango composer Enrique Santos Discépolo to explain the bittersweet atmosphere.

France’s L’Equipe said there was “a mix of joy and nostalgia” in the atmosphere at the Monumental Stadium and highlighted how Messi “enjoyed himself” in his final appearance for Argentina.

In Spain, AS summed up the night in two words: “Unforgettable Messi!” saying that the stars “Albiceleste blood stopped flowing” and that “the ’10’ jersey he wore for over two decades now stands orphaned and empty.”

Marca, another Spanish outlet, described it as “the farewell of all time,” adding Messi gave the Argentine public “one last thrilling day.”

Barcelona-based Sport said it was “the farewell to the Albiceleste that Messi deserved” and that the Argentine star had a send-off “in true Leo Messi style” by “adding to his record-breaking stats.”

In the UK, The Guardian said that the Argentine legend bid a “tearful farewell” to the national team, calling it a “perfectly scripted finale” and insisting the 3-0 win over Benin was “a footnote to the occasion itself.”