Superstar Lionel Messi did not disappoint the domestic fans at his possibly last competitive game in Argentina.
The now 38 -year -old captain of the national team hit around 85,000 fans in the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires in 3-0 against Venezuela.
Initially, the striker scored 1-0 in the qualification game for the World Cup next year in the 39th minute. Four minutes after the 2-0 by Lautaro Martínez in the 76th minute, Messi scored the goal for the 3-0 final score for Argentina. The defending champion was already qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
WM ticket has Defending champion Argentina has long since been solved
For Messi it was most likely the last home game with the national team. Only in the event that Argentina surprisingly will add a test game at home in the USA, Canada and Mexico in the coming summer. Because of the higher income, however, the association for test games is happy to go abroad.
Family was in the stadium
In this knowledge, Messi had probably let his family come to Buenos Aires. The professional of Inter Miami had said his wife and the children, his parents and siblings and the family of his wife and the family of his wife.
Messi has not yet clearly commented on his plans for the coming year, but it is assumed that he will be there again at the World Cup – and then ends his career in the national team. His contract with Inter Miami in the USA is still valid until the end of this year, but an extension has already been negotiated according to media reports.
Messi: “I’m looking forward to it”
Before his 194th international, he gave himself nebulous with a view to his possible sixth World Cup tournament: “In view of my age, it would only be logical that this would not happen. Well, well, we are there, I’m excited, I’m looking forward to it.” And he said: “Today the last time was for me.” Messi takes a break on Tuesday in Ecuador. “I will decide from day by day from game to game”he said and added to the World Cup: “It doesn’t seem impossible.”