Lionel Messi’s greatest Argentina games ranked ahead of farewell fixture vs. Benin

Following his determination to measurement distant from planetary duty, Argentina icon Lionel Messi volition propulsion connected the celebrated bluish and achromatic garment 1 past clip successful a highly-anticipated farewell affable lucifer against Benin connected Wednesday.

The historical send-off astatine the Estadio Monumental successful Buenos Aires brings the curtain down connected a monumental 21-year planetary travel defined by implicit transcendence, during which helium inspired La Albiceleste to 2 Copa America titles (2021, 2024), the 2022 Finalissima, and the eventual crown astatine the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The talismanic eight-time Ballon d’Or-winning skipper steps distant arsenic an undisputed Argentina fable alongside Diego Maradona, leaving down an unparalleled bequest that includes a staggering 125 goals and 68 assists crossed a record-breaking 207 appearances.

Reflecting connected an unmatched epoch of footballing magic and intelligence resilience, the clip has travel to look backmost astatine the matches that shaped the 39-year-old’s legendary tenure.

Here, Sports Mole picks retired Lionel Messi’s top games for Argentina.

10. Argentina 6-0 Serbia & Montenegro | 2006 World Cup radical stage

This group-stage lucifer marked the precise commencement of a legendary planetary career, arsenic an 18-year-old Messi made his highly-anticipated World Cup debut disconnected the bench.

Despite playing lone the last 15 minutes, not lone was his generational imaginable connected display, but his power connected the large signifier was instantaneous and devastating arsenic helium rolled a cleanable assistance crossed the container for Hernan Crespo.

The Barcelona sensation capped disconnected the ascendant triumph by calmly slotting location his first-ever World Cup extremity astatine the adjacent post, anchoring this lucifer arsenic the historical instauration of his greatness.

9. Argentina 4-3 Brazil | 2012 friendly

Although this was simply an planetary exhibition, this high-stakes Clasico Sudamericano successful New Jersey served arsenic 1 of the astir electrifying idiosyncratic displays of Messi’s career.

He wholly took implicit the crippled against Argentina’s fiercest rivals, carving done Brazil’s backline to single-handedly people a breathtaking hat-trick.

After his archetypal 2 goals turned an aboriginal shortage into a pb for La Albiceleste, Messi’s last extremity – an unforgettable 84th-minute solo tally from the halfway enactment that ended successful a stunning long-range curler into the apical country – proved his unmatched quality to triumph immoderate crippled connected axenic idiosyncratic genius.

8. Argentina 2-1 Australia | 2022 World Cup past 16

This tense World Cup knockout clash carried tremendous humanities value arsenic it marked Messi’s 1,000th elder vocation appearance.

Facing a stubborn Australian low-block, Messi broke his career-long drought of ne'er having scored successful a World Cup knockout crippled by brilliantly stroking a low, trademark left-footed decorativeness into the bottommost corner.

He spent the full 2nd fractional putting connected an superb playmaking clinic, utilising slaloming dribbles to single-handedly transportation Argentina done to the adjacent round.

7. England 1-2 Argentina | 2026 World Cup semi-final

Staring down elimination successful his last tournament, the talismanic 39-year-old staged a masterful late-career comeback against the Three Lions to usher Argentina to consecutive World Cup finals.

Capitalising connected England’s profoundly blimpish tactics, Messi wholly dictated the dying embers of the contest, rolling backmost the years to grounds 9 palmy dribbles – the highest single-match tally of the full tournament.

When everything was connected the line, Argentina’s No.10 provided 2 important precocious assists, delivering a precise walk for Enzo Fernandez’s long-range equaliser earlier producing a pin-point transverse for Lautaro Martinez's melodramatic stoppage-time header.

6. Argentina 3-0 Mexico | 2007 Copa America semi-final

This Copa America semi-final was the nighttime that a 20-year-old Messi officially proved helium could tally a large continental tourney connected the elder stage.

A long-haired ‘Atomic Flea’ orchestrated a mesmerising attacking concern with Juan Roman Riquelme, unlocking a disciplined Mexican outfit with his accelerated dribbling and vision.

Messi’s show was immortalised by an audacious, first-time spot from a choky space implicit Oswaldo Sanchez, a extremity that remains 1 of the astir aesthetically beauteous highlights successful planetary shot history.

5. Argentina 3-0 Ecuador | 2021 Copa America quarter-final

This high-pressure knockout fixture was the implicit highest show of Messi’s legendary, tournament-winning 2021 Copa America campaign.

He was wholly flawless arsenic an attacking hub, slicing Ecuador isolated with 2 perfectly-weighted assists for Rodrigo De Paul and Lautaro Martinez either broadside of fractional time.

Messi past capped disconnected his masterclass show by smashing a spectacular, bending free-kick into the apical country during stoppage time; it was an idiosyncratic show and a connection effect that went a agelong mode successful yet propelling him to his archetypal elder trophy with Argentina.

4. Argentina 2-2 Netherlands (ARG triumph connected pens) | 2022 World Cup quarter-final

This explosive and emotionally charged ‘Battle of Lusail’ provoked an assertive borderline successful Messi, arsenic helium went toe-to-toe with the Dutch squad and their caput manager Louis van Gaal, who was captious of Messi’s contributions to Argentina pre-match.

Messi archetypal produced a infinitesimal of axenic geometry, threading a seemingly impossible, no-look reverse walk done a microscopic spread to assistance Nahuel Molina earlier coolly slotting location a punishment successful regular time.

After a precocious Dutch fightback forced a punishment shootout, Messi displayed immense leader-led composure by stepping up archetypal to people again, capping disconnected a legendary nighttime of precocious play that was epitomised by his on-field excellence, his defiant "Topo Gigio" solemnisation and fiery post-match confrontations.

3. Ecuador 1-3 Argentina | 2017 World Cup qualifier

With an full federation facing the catastrophic humiliation of missing retired connected the 2018 World Cup, Argentina went a extremity down wrong the archetypal 38 seconds astatine the utmost altitude of Quito.

Facing near-impossible atmospheric conditions and immense intelligence pressure, up stepped skipper Messi to single-handedly resistance his state to Russia by scoring a memorable hat-trick.

Every extremity was a show of sheer willpower and world-class execution, including his 3rd curled implicit the goalkeeper to merchandise months of nationalist hostility and crown Messi arsenic Argentina’s eventual saviour.

In the words of Argentina caput manager Jorge Sampaoli: “Messi did not beryllium the World Cup to Argentina, but shot owed the World Cup to Messi.”

2. Argentina 3-0 Croatia | 2022 World Cup semi-final

Argentina’s World Cup semi-final demanded elite execution to interruption down a resilient Croatian midfield and defence, and Messi genuinely turned up to present 1 of his astir implicit modern masterpieces.

He opened the scoring with an ice-cold, emphatic punishment into the extortion of the nett earlier spending the remainder of the nighttime utterly terrorising an hostile ranked seventh successful the satellite by FIFA.

Messi’s show was defined by his iconic assistance for chap guardant Julian Alvarez, wherever helium dynamically turned tournament-best defender Josko Gvardiol wrong retired on the touchline, showcasing that his highest powers were afloat intact up of his 2nd ace astatine World Cup glory.

1. Argentina 3-3 France (ARG triumph connected pens) | 2022 World Cup final

The undisputed crown jewel of Messi’s iconic planetary career, this historical World Cup last saw him implicit his life's defining footballing ngo successful arguably the astir melodramatic lucifer ever played.

On the biggest signifier of all, Messi opened the scoring from the punishment spot, masterminded Argentina’s 2nd extremity with a superb flick, and fought done exhausting fatigue to bundle location a important rebound successful other time, aft Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe had netted a hat-trick for France.

By converting his punishment archetypal successful the shootout, Messi maintained full composure done terrible affectional swings, solidifying this enthralling showpiece astatine fig 1 arsenic the ultimate, definitive realisation of his footballing legacy.