Emiliano Martinez: Lionel Messi Will Leave 'A Massive Void' for Argentina

Emiliano Martinez has opened up about the end of the Lionel Messi era, telling ESPN Argentina that the Inter Miami star will leave 'a massive void' for the Albiceleste after Tuesday's farewell friendly against Benin at the Estadio Más Monumental.

Martinez speaks after the 7-0 rout

Argentina's goalkeeper faced the cameras in a reflective mood after the world champions dismantled Burkina Faso 7-0 at the Estadio Monumental on Saturday night. Rather than dwelling on another clean sheet, Martinez immediately turned the spotlight onto his captain's impending farewell.

In the interview with ESPN Argentina, reported by Goal.com, Martinez spoke about the honour of sharing the dressing room with the 39-year-old. 'Obviously, I tried to help as much as possible, and he knows that,' he said. 'We always talk about it, and it was one of the greatest honours of my career to help him achieve what he desired most, because he is the greatest player in history.'

His words carried the weight of a shared history stretching from the 2021 Copa América triumph through the unforgettable night in Lusail in December 2022, when Argentina finally lifted the World Cup with Messi as captain. For Martinez, widely regarded as the penalty-shootout hero of that campaign, helping Messi to football's ultimate prize ranks as the defining achievement of his career.

'He leaves a massive void'

With Messi's final international appearance now just days away, the Chelsea goalkeeper candidly acknowledged the scale of what Argentina is about to lose. 'He leaves a massive void, but there are lads here who have real personality,' Martinez admitted.

No player in Argentina's history has shaped the national team more completely than Messi. Across 21 years and 207 caps, with 125 international goals to his name, he carried the Albiceleste from years of near misses to the Copa América, the Finalissima and the World Cup. Replacing his aura, his decision-making and his sheer presence in the dressing room is a task no single player can complete.

Still, Martinez refused to paint the post-Messi era in purely gloomy terms. His faith in the next generation was evident in the way he spoke about the youngsters around him, pointing to the personality already emerging within Scaloni's squad as reason for optimism rather than despair.

Tuesday is for Messi

Martinez left no doubt about what the coming days mean to the squad. Looking ahead to the forward's final match on 6 October, he underlined his determination to savour every remaining emotional moment. 'I feel part of it, and on Tuesday I want to enjoy it and see him smile,' he said. 'We will try to cherish him in the little time we have left together.'

Messi was deliberately rested for the Burkina Faso friendly so that he could be fully primed for his farewell against Benin. Scaloni confirmed that the choice was left entirely to the captain, and Messi did not play a single minute in the 7-0 win. Benin arrive in Buenos Aires for a fixture that exists for one purpose: giving the greatest player in Argentina's history the home send-off he deserves.

Head coach Lionel Scaloni has already admitted that the occasion will overwhelm everyone involved. 'I imagine Tuesday's match will be very emotional for everyone, including Leo,' Scaloni said. 'It will be an unforgettable day. It will be his day, and his team-mates' day, who also gave him his greatest footballing joy. I'm grateful to be able to enjoy it. I imagine that if there were five stadiums, they would be packed.'

The night that made history

Saturday's 7-0 victory offered a glimpse of the attacking depth Argentina will carry into the post-Messi era. Lautaro Martinez, Gianluca Prestianni, Nico Paz, Julian Alvarez, Franco Mastantuono and Giuliano Simeone all found the net, with an own goal from Moumouni Diallo completing the rout against a Burkina Faso side reduced to an emergency squad after severe travel disruption.

Burkina Faso landed in Buenos Aires only five hours before kick-off after their private flight from Morocco was grounded by a technical failure, with several senior players refusing to travel on account of fatigue. Under those extraordinary circumstances, the African side fielded an inexperienced lineup that was overrun by the world champions.

Even so, Argentina's ruthlessness will have heartened supporters. Seven goals from six different scorers, with young names like Prestianni and Nico Paz stepping forward, suggests the supply of talent is not the problem. What cannot be replaced is the one player who made it all look inevitable for two decades.

The World Cup final scar

Martinez also spoke honestly about the mental toll of losing the 2026 World Cup final to Spain, a defeat that still lingers in the Argentina camp. 'It took a lot out of me after losing a World Cup final; the pain stayed with me for a long time,' he admitted. 'I needed a fresh start at my club to get over the heartache I felt after that final.'

Now, though, the goalkeeper has rediscovered his energy with the national team. 'I come here and honestly feel great, happy, full of energy, and that's what matters most,' he said — words that will reassure supporters about the man guarding the net when Messi walks out at the Monumental for the final time.

Among his personal milestones, the Burkina Faso game marked his 45th clean sheet in 69 international appearances, a remarkable record of consistency for a goalkeeper who has defined the position for his country through its most successful period in a generation.

Cherishing the last days

Argentina's farewell schedule has been carefully built around one man. Messi announced his international retirement in August following the World Cup final defeat to Spain and the death of his father, Jorge, bringing down the curtain on a legendary 21-year career. Everything since — the friendlies, the celebrations, the special gold-trimmed farewell jersey — has led to Tuesday night.

Martinez, alongside Scaloni and the rest of the squad, understands that his role this week is simple: be present, be perfect, and give the captain the stage. 'We will try to cherish him in the little time we have left together,' he said. For a goalkeeper who once stood in the path of French penalties so that Messi could lift the World Cup, one more night of service is the least he owes the man he calls the greatest player in history.

Benin, for their part, arrive as guests at someone else's party — but Tuesday's fixture at the Estadio Más Monumental was never really about the visitors. It is about the void that is about to open, and the smile Martinez wants to see before it does.

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