Lionel Messi farewell match live – updates and analysis from Argentina v Benin

Farewell match kicks off at 7pm ET

Messi has completed football

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We’ve seen a lot of tears out of Messi over the years – tears when he briefly retired from the national team in 2016, tears when he won in 2022, tears of joy and sadness alike at the 2026 World Cup. Today we add “tears on the bus ride to the stadium” and “tears during warmups” to the archives.

A moment of appreciation, please, for athletes who emote so openly. It’s lovely to see.