Lionel Messi’s last dance: Is Argentina finally ready to move on as GOAT retires?

“The end of an era.”

This is a term that is often thrown around whenever we see a famous athlete taking time out from his career. But with Lionel Messi about to make his final appearance in Argentina’s famous colours, it seems quite fitting.

A little boy from Rosario, who dreamed of achieving greatness with the Albiceleste, did everything he could. He gave everything he had, be it sweat, tears and blood. In the end, as he himself admitted, he had nothing left to give.

But he gave Argentina their golden period. After reversing his original retirement in 2016, he went on to a World Cup and two Copa America titles. He was close again in 2026 but eventually fell to Spain. The death of his father, coupled with the loss, made him feel that it was time for him to leave and let the new generation lead the team forward.

Then came the final training session. It wasn’t about tactics or high intensity. Monday night seemed to be all about celebrating the brilliance of a man who brought so much joy to the country.

Messi looked happy, content and just felt like he had a spring in his step.

“Special moments, I’m sure I’ll miss them,” Messi said after training.

With the arrival of the golden generation of stars in the stands, Messi is ready for one final dance. Estadio Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires is ready for the occasion, draped in the colors and numbers of their favorite maestro.

“Messi leaves behind something that has no parallels,” says national team coach Lionel Scaloni. “We have to keep playing, but the feeling of having him on the field is unique. I have never seen anyone else express what he does on the football field and that is what we will miss.”

But the big question that remains is: will Argentina survive without Messi?

THE EVIDENCE SO FAR

After the era of the late great Diego Maradona. Argentina had to wait for international fame. They were forced to count the days before another big name entered the mix.

Now Messi is ready to leave. The match in Benin is part of a three-match series during the ongoing international break for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finalists, having already faced Bolivia and Burkina Faso.

The result was emphatic. A 4-0 win against Bolivia and a 7-0 demolition of Burkina Faso. An interesting trend in both wins was the variety in terms of scorers.

While familiar names such as Emiliano Martnez, Cristian Romero, Enzo Fernndez and Lautaro Martnez remain the focal points of the team, several youngsters have also started to make their mark. Nicols Paz and Franco Mastantuono added creativity in midfield, while Gianluca Prestianni and Leonel Flores offered new options.

Flores, a product of Boca Juniors’ academy, is a particularly striking example. The youngster only made his senior club debut two months ago, but has already broken into the Argentinian set-up.

Scaloni was optimistic that the Albiceleste would continue to be at the top level even without Messi.

“The Argentine national team will endure. We will remain at a high level, I have no doubt about that,” Scaloni was quoted as saying by the AP agency.

WHAT DO THE FANS FEEL?

Amidst all this, the fans will be the ones who will be a mixed bag of emotions on October 6th. On the one hand, they will see one of the best footballers play in the final.

On the other hand, they need to see how this team will fare in the years to come without Messi by their side. Fans are quietly optimistic that a new Argentina will emerge after Tuesday’s game.

“There is a changing of the guard; maybe now we have to play differently, not think about Messi and 10 others, but more like a united team,” fan Cristian Versalles, 55, told the AP after watching Saturday’s win over Burkina Faso.

His son Ramiro, 23, added: “With the number of players that have come through, there is definitely a new generation ready to step in. Nico Paz is the heir apparent.” Paz, playing for Italian club Como, was one of the scorers.

On Tuesday in Monumental, everything comes down to the last moment of brilliance. Maybe it could be a free kick or that famous left foot shot.

Or it could just be a few minutes of peace and celebration. Either way, it looks like Argentina is set to bid farewell to one of the game’s icons for a while.

WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH LIONEL MESSI’S LAST DANCE IN INDIA?

The match between Argentina and Benin will be played on Wednesday, October 7 in India at 4:30 AM IST. Fans in India can watch the match on the Zee5 app.

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