As the final game of Messi’s international career
draws closer, his teammates are reflecting on years of memories, admiration and
the difficult prospect of seeing their captain leave the national team.
Argentina are coming off a resounding 7-0 victory
over Burkina Faso. Yet the emphatic win has taken a back seat as the squad
prepares to bid farewell to one of the greatest players in football history.
Midfielder Enzo Fernandez said the team wants
Messi to enjoy his final days with them.
We’ll have a barbecue together and enjoy these
days with him. He deserves it. We want his farewell to be great so that he can
truly enjoy it, Fernandez said.
For 22-year-old Santiago Castro, sharing a
dressing room with Messi for the first time is a dream, although the occasion
comes with mixed emotions.
“This is the first time I will meet Messi. I’ve
never been in the same dressing room with him before. It’s very special. But
there is also a bit of sadness... He is the one who made me fall in love with
the ball and taught me to love the national team,” Castro said.
Right-back Agustin Giay also expects an emotional
night.
“It’s going to be a very special night, with a
lot of emotion. It’s a sad day, but also a happy one because he is able to say
goodbye like this,” he said.
Midfielder Gianluca Prestianni, who grew up watching
Messi, believes his departure will leave a huge void in the national team.
“I grew up watching him. Being there for his
farewell will be wonderful, but also very sad. And the fact that he won’t be
with the national team anymore—it’s going to be a huge void,” Prestianni said.
For 23-year-old forward Matias Soule, Messi’s
farewell is equally bittersweet.
He is an idol for the whole world and a hero of
the Argentina national team. It’s sad for me, but at the same time it’s
something wonderful, Soule said.
Messi’s close friend and Argentina goalkeeper
Emiliano Martinez struggled to contain his emotions while speaking about the
farewell, even wiping his eyes.
We’ll try to make sure he enjoys it as much as
possible. We’ll shower him with love and kisses. We’ll do everything we can so
that he can leave happy, Martinez said.
Messi has given Argentina countless goals,
records and trophies during his long international career. But as he prepares
to walk away from the national team, his teammates appear to want just one
thing from their captain—one final night of happiness and, perhaps, that
familiar shy smile.
There may be tears before the night is over. But for Messi, a little emotion shared with teammates who have been part of his extraordinary journey may be the most fitting way to say goodbye.

Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Published Date : October 6, 2026
