Lionel Messi has paid tribute to Argentina legend Diego Maradona and his late father, Jorge Messi, after what is being described as his last appearance for the national team.
He shared his thoughts in an online post on Wednesday.
Messi said he already misses wearing the sky blue and white shirt but feels sure he is making the right decision.
He called his time with Argentina an incredible journey with happy days and hard days, and said every step was worth it.
He also remembered Maradona, saying he did not want to forget the man who put the country where it deserved to be.
Messi believes Maradona backed Argentina in life and still does from heaven.
For his father, who died on August 8, 2026 at 68 after a long illness, Messi posted a photo of himself in the Argentina shirt looking up at the sky.
He wrote that his father had no idea how much he was missed the night before.
During his farewell on the pitch, Messi said his first thought was of his father.
He also thanked his family, friends, teammates, coaches, the clubs that backed his international duty, God and the Argentina fans.
Messi, 39, scored a penalty and made two assists as Argentina beat Benin 3-0 at the Monumental Stadium on Monday in front of more than 85,000 fans.
It was his 208th game for Argentina, closing a 21-year international career in which he became the most capped player and the all-time top scorer for the country.
