"A gift of yellow and red cards for Messi?" Referee shows up after farewell match with a surprise present... "A reminder to cherish this special night"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

'The God of Football' Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) received a unique farewell greeting not only from opposing players, but also from the referee, on his final night.

Argentina secured a 3-0 victory over Benin in a friendly match held at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the 7th (Korean time).

The match was not just an ordinary friendly. It was Messi's last game wearing the national team jersey after serving as a symbol of Argentina for more than 20 years.

True to form until the very end. Messi scored one goal and provided two assists, contributing to all three goals recorded by Argentina. He directly led the victory in his own farewell match, putting an exclamation point on his 21-year national team journey.

Special scenes unfolded after the final whistle.

Amidst the applause from the Argentine squad and home fans, players from the opposing Benin team also gathered around Messi to offer greetings and request photos.

Benin showed respect toward Messi even before the match began. They presented a 'Warrior of the Amazon' statue symbolizing the history of Dahomey Amazon, one Song I-wa (CEO) team pennant, and handwritten letters written by the players themselves.

However, it was not only the players who sought out Messi.

Fernando Bejar, the Chilean referee in charge of the match that day, also approached Messi directly.

After a brief conversation with Messi, Bejar took out the yellow and red cards used during the match from his pocket. He then handed both cards directly to Messi.

It was a special gift prepared so that Messi could keep it as a memento of his retirement match.

While opposing team managers or players showing respect at a football legend's retirement match is not uncommon, the sight of a referee gifting equipment he personally used during the game was a rare scene.

Argentine media outlet TN also introduced the scene, stating, "Referee Bejar showed a special gesture after Messi's national team farewell match ended."

After the match concluded, Messi himself took the microphone to deliver his final farewell to the fans.

"I am simply grateful for this jersey. Even during the hardest moments over the past 20 years, I did not stop fighting and kept moving forward. I poured out everything I had and always wanted to be here," Messi said.

He continued, "Not being able to play with the Argentine national team and not being able to play for Argentina would hurt a lot. If it were up to me, I would want to stay here forever. Because playing for Argentina is the most beautiful thing. I wish this moment would never end," revealing his affectionate feelings.

Another Argentine media outlet, Infobae, reported that "Messi also shared his most personal emotions in his speech that day, recalling his father who recently passed away."

With this match, Messi concluded his 21-year epic journey with the Argentina senior national team. After making his international debut in a friendly against Hungary in August 2005, he played in 208 matches wearing the national team jersey up to his final game against Benin. The number of goals he scored during that time was a whopping 126. This is the all-time record for most goals in Argentine national team history.

Additionally, Messi added two assists in the match against Benin, bringing his total assists to 70. He etched his name into the history of the Argentine national team in terms of appearances, goals, and assists.

Above all, championship trophies completed Messi's national team career. After a long wait, he claimed his first senior national team major title at the 2021 Copa America, and finally lifted the World Cup trophy at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. He also reached the top of the 2024 Copa America, leading Argentina's golden era.

His skills remained intact even after turning 39. Messi led Argentina to the final in the 2026 North and Central America World Cup as well, decorating his last World Cup stage.

In his final match, Messi scored one goal and provided two assists, leading Argentina to a 3-0 victory. He put an exclamation point on his 21-year national team journey in the most Messi-like way possible.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original