Lionel Messi’s family gathered at Estadio Monumental for the final game of his international career on Tuesday night.

The 39-year-old’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, was joined by their children and Messi’s mother, Celia María Cuccittini, for the friendly against Benin.

They wore Messi jerseys and were seen filming and clapping as the No 10 emerged from the tunnel for warm-ups before being introduced to the 85,000-strong crowd in Buenos Aires.

The Argentina icon will bring the curtain down on his international career after 21 years, 125 goals, two Copa America titles and a World Cup victory. 

In Messi’s 208th Argentina appearance, Lionel Scaloni’s team face West African minnows Benin but the otherwise-unremarkable friendly has become a seismic moment for Argentine soccer.

The game also comes almost two months to the day since Messi’s father, Jorge, died at the age 68. 

Lionel Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, is in Buenos Aires for his final game for Argentina

She was joined by Messi’s mother, Celia María Cuccittini, for the friendly against Benin

The Argentina icon will bring the curtain down on his international career after 21 years

Back on August 7, Jorge Messi reportedly died in a hospital in Rosario, close to the family home, a couple of months after the family revealed he had been rushed to hospital with an ongoing ‘health situation’.

Following Tuesday night’s swansong, Messi will continue to play for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer but on August 31, he announced he would be retiring from international football.

That decision came just weeks after the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium near New York, where Spain beat Argentina and Messi’s World Cup journey ended in tears.

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