De Paul and Di Maria Lead Tributes to Messi
From former and current teammates to tearful fans outside the Monumental, tributes poured in for Lionel Messi on the day of his final Argentina appearance, with Rodrigo De Paul, Angel Di Maria and Neymar among those paying emotional farewells.
A nation says goodbye
On Tuesday October 6, 2026, Argentina prepared to do something it had dreaded for years: say goodbye to Lionel Messi in an Argentina shirt. As fans flocked to the Estadio Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires for the friendly against Benin, tributes poured in from former and current teammates, each trying to put into words what two decades of Messi had meant.
By the time the night ended - a 3-0 Argentina win in which Messi scored one goal and set up two more in his 208th and final international appearance - the farewell had become one of the most emotional send-offs football has ever seen. The messages that arrived before kickoff, though, showed just how deeply Messi's teammates felt the moment.
De Paul: 'He is my brother'
Few players understand Messi better than Rodrigo De Paul. The midfielder has been Messi's close friend and on-field bodyguard for Argentina, and now also plays alongside him at Inter Miami. His farewell message, released on Tuesday, went far beyond football.
De Paul said Messi had made him grow not only as a footballer but as a person - a better human being, a better athlete, a better father and a better friend. He wanted Messi to know how much he loves him, calling him 'my brother' and praising his enormous heart. For a player often portrayed as the quiet lieutenant, the words were unusually open and deeply personal.
De Paul's message matters because of where it comes from: a current teammate who shared the 2022 World Cup triumph, the two Copa Americas and now the Miami adventure. His farewell was a window into the dressing room Messi leaves behind.
Di Maria: a day nobody wanted
Angel Di Maria, one of Messi's longest-serving international teammates, spoke for a generation of Argentina players. The former winger said it was a day nobody had wanted to come - an admission that even after all the triumphs, the end still felt impossible.
Di Maria said seeing Messi so happy, and at peace knowing he gave everything he had, was what made everyone happy. It would be a very special day for everyone, he added, before thanking Messi for a lifetime - a farewell from one legend to another.
Together, Di Maria and Messi carried Argentina through the near-misses of the 2014 World Cup final and the 2015 and 2016 Copa America finals before finally lifting the Copa America in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022. Di Maria's words carried the weight of that shared history.
Neymar: the world thanks you
From Brazil came one of the most heartfelt messages. Neymar, Messi's former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain teammate and longtime friend, wrote on Instagram hours before kickoff that not only Argentina but the whole world should thank Messi for everything he gave football.
Neymar thanked Messi for making him love football even more, calling it an honour to have played against him and even more so to have made history alongside him. The message arrived as reports continue to link Neymar with a move to Inter Miami - a reunion that would bring the old friends together in Florida.
Tearful fans outside the Monumental
Outside the stadium, fans expressed a mixture of gratitude and sadness that matched the players' messages. Thousands gathered around the Monumental hours before kickoff, many wearing Messi's No. 10 shirt, singing the songs that have followed him for two decades.
Nineteen-year-old Jose Garracedo told Reuters TV he cried - partly from the joy of being there for Messi's last game, and partly from the sadness of knowing he would not be there anymore. His words summed up the mood of an entire generation that grew up watching Messi in the albiceleste.
For Argentine fans, the farewell closed a chapter that began when a 17-year-old Messi debuted in 2005 and ended 21 years later with 208 caps, 126 goals, a World Cup, two Copa Americas and a Finalissima. Few farewells in sport have ever felt quite so personal to so many people.
Questions people ask
What did Rodrigo De Paul say in his farewell message to Messi?
Rodrigo De Paul, Lionel Messi's close friend and teammate for both Argentina and Inter Miami, released a farewell message saying Messi had helped him grow as a footballer, a person, a father and a friend, and calling him 'my brother'.
What did Angel Di Maria say about Messi's farewell?
Former Argentina teammate Angel Di Maria said it was a day nobody had wanted to come, thanked Messi for a lifetime of memories and said seeing him happy, knowing he gave everything, made everyone happy.
What was Neymar's message to Messi?
Neymar, Messi's former Barcelona and PSG teammate, wrote on Instagram hours before the match that not only Argentina but the whole world should thank Messi for what he gave football, calling it an honour to have made history alongside him.
When and where was Messi's final Argentina match?
Lionel Messi played his 208th and final match for Argentina on October 6, 2026, a 3-0 friendly win over Benin at the Estadio Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires. He scored one goal and provided two assists in his farewell appearance.
How did fans outside the Monumental react?
19-year-old Jose Garracedo told Reuters TV he cried because he got to see Messi's last game and because of the sadness of knowing he would not be there anymore - capturing the mixture of gratitude and sadness felt around the stadium.
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