Messi’s Farewell Speech: 'I Never Stopped Fighting'
Football legend Lionel Messi's delivers his farewell speech at Monumental stadium on Tuesday (local time). Collected photo.
Emotion swept through the Monumental stadium. Some were crying, while others simply could not believe that Lionel Messi would no longer play in the Argentina jersey. Messi himself became emotional after playing his final match against Benin.
After the match, Messi delivered an emotional speech, expressing his gratitude to his teammates and fans for standing by him throughout his 21-year career with the Albiceleste. He also spoke about the 2026 World Cup, his late father, Jorge, and his career. Reflecting on the greatest moment of his career, he said, “Playing for the national team is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
After scoring one goal and providing two assists against Benin, Messi began his speech by saying, “It’s really difficult to say anything today. So many thoughts are running through my mind. Right now, the first person I think of is my father. I only have one thing to do—to express my gratitude. Being able to wear this jersey for more than 20 years has been a tremendous honor for me.”
Messi continued, “Even in the most difficult moments, I never stopped fighting. I gave everything I had and tried my very best. And never being able to come back will be very painful. For God’s sake, I wanted to come back for the rest of my life, because playing for the Argentina national team is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
Messi acknowledged that this is the “right time” for him to step away. He said, “I’ve been through a lot. At the 2026 World Cup, we came very close to achieving our goal, and honestly, [in the final against Spain] nothing unusual happened, as some people have said. We gave everything we had. The match against England left us extremely exhausted. We fought hard as we always do, but when we reached the very end, we simply couldn’t go any further. Although my heart wants to stay here forever, I feel this is the right time to step away. The last World Cup was extremely demanding for me, both mentally and physically. We dreamed of becoming world champions again, and we came so close to winning. And honestly, nothing miraculous happened.”
Thanking his teammates in the next part of his speech, Messi said, “They fulfilled my childhood dreams—they won the World Cup, the Copa America and the Finalissima. It was a tremendous honor to stand alongside you on the field. It meant going into battle against any team because I knew I had warriors beside me who would give everything they had.”
He added, “We always fought hard against everyone. Not only against those I faced and defeated, but also against those who played before me. Unfortunately, even after coming so close, we were unable to win the championships. But I have no doubt that every teammate who has been by my side has always given their best for this jersey. I’m going to miss playing here terribly. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel throughout the country, and from beginning to end, I have always received tremendous love. I am truly grateful.
“Whatever the match, whenever the stadiums were packed to capacity, I was grateful for every moment. People from all over the country made tremendous sacrifices to come and watch us play. We know how difficult that is. Everywhere we played, it felt as if we were playing at home.”
Continuing his expression of gratitude, Messi recalled one of the greatest days of his career—the day they returned to play at the Monumental Stadium after winning the 2022 World Cup. He said, “I will never forget what I felt that day. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. It was incredibly beautiful. Even today, I watch those videos and become emotional.”
Messi acknowledged that Tuesday was one of the “saddest” days of his life because it marked the end of his playing career with the national team. “Today, I am saying goodbye to the entire team and to all of you. I will miss you and I will miss representing the colors of this national team. I am going through the saddest day of my football career because today is the day I say goodbye to the national team and to all of you. I will miss fighting in the national team jersey so much.
“But I will be with you from the other side, supporting these boys and those who come after them. We will always remain united. It has been proven that when we are united, we are stronger than anyone and can overcome any obstacle. Difficult times will certainly lie ahead because what has been achieved during this period has been extraordinary, and that is why we must stand by them and support them more than ever. To achieve great goals, we need to build a strong team. There are people who want to see the national team fail, and we cannot give them that opportunity.”
He made it clear that the only way to get through difficult times is to build a strong team. Emphasizing the point, he said, “I can tell you right now that we were an extraordinary team, and that is why everything we achieved was possible.”
Finally, Messi admitted with a slight smile that he was talking more than he ever had before because he did not want to leave the field. He then ended his speech in an emotional voice, saying, “I just want to say that I love you all and I will miss you very much. I am proud to be Argentine and to have fulfilled my dreams together with all of you. Thank you all so much. I love you.”
