Stadium erupts in ‘Messiii, Messiii’ chants as Argentina match suspended in honor of Lionel Messi – Watch

Argentina have begun paying tribute to Lionel Messi after the football great announced his retirement from international football earlier this week.The first honor came during Wednesday’s Copa Argentina match between Velez Sarsfield and Boca Juniors, when play was stopped in the 10th minute amid applause at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes.Fans throughout the stadium stood and applauded Messi, stopping play for a brief moment.Two of Messi’s former Argentina team-mates, Leandro Paredes and Manuel Lanzini, were on the pitch during the tribute.The match later ended 0–0 with Boca Juniors winning the penalty shootout 4–3.The tribute follows a decision by the Argentine Football Association, which announced that referees will stop play in the 10th minute of every match in the upcoming Clausura tournament, as well as in other men’s and women’s competitions across the country, to honor Messi’s international career.Messi announced his international retirement after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, ending a career that spanned 21 years with the Argentina team.He scored 125 goals and 68 assists in 207 games for Argentina.Messi said in his retirement message that the decision “hurts the depths of my soul” but added that he “knows the time has come” to stop representing his country.Messi’s greatest success with Argentina came when he led the team to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title in Qatar. He also helped Argentina win the Copa America in 2021 and 2024, ending the country’s 28-year wait for a major trophy.Although Messi is one of Argentina’s biggest sporting icons, he has never played professional club football in his native country. At the age of 13, he moved to Barcelona and built his career there.Messi has only retired from international football and continues to play club football for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.