Lionel Messi's official Argentina farewell breaks global viewing records

Lionel Messi has said goodbye to the international football arena, ending a 21-year journey with the Argentina national team. His final match has broken global viewing records, as Lionel Messi's farewell drew in 3.5 billion viewers within ten minutes of the match against Benin. It was the most viewed sports event in history and beat the 2022 men's World Cup final, which attracted 3 billion viewers.

The legendary footballer, who is 39 years old, has left the international pitch for the last time. Argentina's football fans were not the only ones lamenting as the star player concluded his incredible career.

Messi's football adventure

For almost two decades, the greatest footballer has been captivating fans with his game. Over the years, football supporters have watched over Messi's spectacular football career, which was not without its difficulties. In 2005, the footballer faced his first significant disappointment in his international career, being red carded in the early stages of the tournament. Messi has also had to deal with frustration on the road to the 2008 Olympic Games, despite winning gold.

Three consecutive defeats in the finals of major tournaments left Messi injured and frustrated, which caused him to leave the national team. However, soon enough, he made the decision to return to the national team.

When he returned, he transformed the narrative entirely. Leading Argentina to the 2021 Copa America title at the Maracana broke a 28-year trophy drought, setting the foundation for the crowning achievement of his career: lifting the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Adding another Copa America crown to his resume proved that his international reign was no fleeting moment, but rather the most dominant spell in modern football history.

Messi's farewell

In addition to the truly astronomical number of viewers, Messi's final match will go down in history as one of the most significant sporting events of our time.

It took a long and illustrious career for the footballer to achieve such success. He played over 200 matches for the senior national team, and more than 180 of them were as a starter. He leaves La Albiceleste not just as their all-time leading scorer and appearance holder, but as the player who permanently redefined international glory for Argentina and the World.