Wearing Argentina's jersey is the biggest honor: Messi

Before stepping out of the Monumental Stadium tunnel, Lionel Messi touched his left wrist with his right hand. Not a gesture to check the time, but a habit of touch. For more than two decades, this tunnel, this grass, this blue-and-white striped jersey have shaped a relationship. In a video published by Adidas after Argentina's 3-0 win over Benin, Messi said wearing Argentina's jersey is the greatest honor of his life. That single sentence announces the end of a chapter in Argentine football history.",

The Argentina 3-0 Benin match took place at the Monumental Stadium. Messi scored one goal and was directly involved in two others. His career statistics now stand at 126 goals in 208 matches. No one has reached this number in international football before. No one has played so many matches or scored so many goals in Argentina's jersey. The boy who first wore Argentina's jersey in 2026 against Hungary in Budapest is ending his career.

I have been watching Argentina matches since 2026. When Messi first arrived, I felt this boy would start a new chapter in Argentine football. Twenty years later, that chapter is ending. Some things cannot be captured in statistics. Messi's goal count, assists, trophies—we know them all. But the moment he knelt on the Monumental grass is in no statistic.

Argentine football will be divided into before Messi and after Messi. Until the 2026 World Cup, the frustration of Argentine fans was inseparable from Messi. Losing the 2026 World Cup final, losing the 2026 and 2026 Copa America finals. Three major finals, three losses. After 2026, Messi announced his retirement. It seemed his chapter in Argentina's jersey was over. But he returned. 2026 Copa America, 2026 World Cup, 2026 Copa America—three major titles.

At the end of this fairy tale, now a match against a small team like Benin. Should Messi's last international match have been against an opponent like Benin? Perhaps not. But Argentine football fans know that for Messi, nothing big was ever unnecessary. Every match was equally important to him.

To understand Messi's career statistics, a few numbers must be remembered. 126 goals in 208 matches. Argentina's all-time top scorer. 13 goals in World Cups. 14 goals in Copa America. 34 goals in World Cup qualifiers. These numbers are not just records; they are testimony to a shift in Argentine football culture.

Argentine football has always depended on talent. After Diego Maradona, Argentina searched for talent. Since the 2026 World Cup, Argentina found talent but did not win titles. In 2026, Messi arrived. Argentine fans thought the new Maradona had come. But Messi was not Maradona. He was himself. It took Argentina twenty years to realize this.

I believe Messi's greatest contribution to Argentine football was reducing the burden of expectation. He proved that one player cannot single-handedly bring a title to a team. Argentina lost the 2026 World Cup final. But even after that loss, Messi did not abandon Argentina's jersey. In 2026 he left, and he returned. This return is the greatest drama in Argentine football history.

For Bangladeshi football fans, Messi is a different emotion. During the 2026 World Cup, Argentine flags were seen on Dhaka's streets. People wearing Argentina jerseys were seen at tea stalls in Sylhet. The number of Argentina fans in Bangladesh may not exceed Brazil's, but the pull toward Argentina is different. This jersey's relationship with the people of Bangladesh is twenty years old. Messi said wearing the jersey is his greatest honor. Bangladeshi fans would say watching Messi wear the jersey is their greatest joy.

The timing of the Adidas video is important. Messi is playing for Inter Miami in MLS. The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Messi is now 38. His chances of playing in the 2026 World Cup are slim. Adidas released the video exactly when Argentine football fans are wondering what comes after Messi.

Argentina's next generation is ready. But filling Messi's void is impossible. The leadership, consistency, mental strength—all of that ends with Messi. Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni has built a team that can win without Messi. In the 2026 Copa America, Messi missed some matches due to injury, yet Argentina won the title. This is Scaloni's greatest success.

But without Messi, Argentine football's test remains. Not against teams like Benin, but against Spain, France, England. In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Argentina still depends on Messi. This dependence sometimes weakens the team. But when Messi is there, the fear of weakness disappears.

I watched a Messi match at the Monumental in 2026. In that match, Messi scored from a free kick. While watching the goal, I thought I would not forget this scene. But in twenty years, how many Messi goals have I seen? Which ones do I remember? Actually, I do not remember. What I remember are the moments. Who scored, who assisted—those are remembered. Messi said he considers wearing Argentina's jersey the greatest honor. I would say watching Messi in Argentina's jersey is the greatest joy.

What was Messi thinking as he left his jersey in the Monumental dressing room for the last time? Unknown. And there is no need to know. The jersey remains, the footballer leaves. Argentina's blue-and-white striped jersey will look for another name. But a name like Messi may never come again. 208 matches, 126 goals, one jersey. These three numbers are the essence of Messi's story. The rest is football.