Reversed his retirement decision: Martinez reveals behind-the-scenes details of the final hours with Messi
"His departure will leave a huge void... but!"
Lionel Messi is preparing to play his final match in the Argentina shirt on Tuesday morning, when the Tango dancers face Benin at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires.
The celebrations for his farewell have already begun inside the national team's camp. Emiliano Martinez revealed that the Argentina players were keen to send off their captain in a special way.
Messi arrived at the camp on Sunday evening. Martinez explained that the farewell kicked off with a barbecue (asado) at the national team's residence, adding: "We will try to embrace him during the little time he has left with us."
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True to his word, Argentina's goalkeeper posted a video clip across his social media accounts on Sunday evening. In it, the players prepare the barbecue as the celebration of Messi's farewell gets under way.
"We will try to pamper him and make sure he enjoys this moment as much as possible," Martinez added, "and shower him with hugs and kisses, and that he is happy."
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Reflecting on his relationship with Messi, in comments reported by the Argentine newspaper Olé after Sunday's friendly against Burkina Faso, Martinez said: "I tried to help him as much as possible, and he knows that, and we always talk about this matter. It was one of the greatest honours of my career to try to help him achieve what he wanted so badly. He is the greatest player in history, and I feel, thank God, that I was part of his journey."
On the match against Benin, he said: "I want to see him enjoying himself and smiling."
Emiliano Martinez backs away from the idea of retirement
On the fading of the pain of losing the World Cup, and his thoughts about retiring after the tournament, the Chelsea goalkeeper said: "The impact of losing the World Cup final was very hard for me. The pain stayed with me for a long time. I needed a change of scenery at club level to try to ease the pain I felt after the final, and I achieved that. Now I come here and I feel fine and happy and I have a lot of energy. In the end, I have to represent my country and my family, and I have to do that in the best possible way."
Martinez had left Aston Villa for Chelsea in the final days of the summer transfer window. He has since rediscovered his enthusiasm and confirmed his full commitment to Argentina as the 2030 cycle begins.
As for life after Messi, he stated: "His departure will leave a big void, but we have players with strong personalities."
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