Messi scores 932nd career goal as Argentina beat Benin 3-0

Argentina beat Benin 3-0 in a friendly match. The game was Lionel Messi’s farewell appearance for the Argentina national team.

Nicolás Otamendi opened the scoring in the 48th minute. Nico Paz extended the lead in the 61st, and Messi converted a penalty in the 71st. Messi also assisted Otamendi’s and Paz’s goals.

Including goals for club and country, the 39-year-old Argentine forward has scored 932 times in his career. He reached the milestone in his 1,178th match.

Forty-one-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 979 goals in 1,338 career matches. Messi announced his decision to leave the Argentina national team after the 2026 World Cup, held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, in a letter posted on social media.