 "Lionel Messi was seen wiping his tears in what could be his farewell match in front of his home fans. Reuters")
Lionel Messi could not hold his tears back as he took the ground for, possibly, one final time in Argentina for his national side. Argentina took on Zambia in a friendly clash at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires on Tuesday and fans packed the stadium to witness what is being widely considered the last match for Messi in Argentina colours at home.
Supporters created such an atmosphere at the venue that even Messi could not hide his emotions. Regarded as one of the greatest footballers ever, Messi has been the face of his country for almost two decades. He is likely to soon appear in his sixth World Cup, although there is a little suspense about his participation.
Messi’s emotional farewell
The Argentinian forward had led the country on the ground for years. In his final home game, he once again did what he does best. He scored a goal and created an opportunity for the other.
He set up Julian Alvarez for the opening goal in just the fourth minute of the match. Soon, he joined in on the scoresheet as well with a goal of his own. Just before the break, Messi broke through the Zambian defence to register what will likely be his final goal on home soil for Argentina.
His goals are usually the highlights of a match, but against Zambia, the highlight came up before the kickoff. Standing alongside his teammates, Messi got emotional as his eyes welled up with tears. He was seen wiping away tears from his eyes in a moment that suggested it would be his final game in front of his home fans. Although Messi himself has not confirmed it, the tears almost did.
Valentin Barco and Nicolas Otamendi also scored in the second half, while Zambia’s Dominic Chanda further added to his team’s troubles with an own goal. Ultimately, in the final home game of Messi, Argentina walked away with a dominating 5-0 victory.
Messi could have also doubled his own tally just after the break when Argentina won a penalty. But Otamendi got the chance to score from the spot and he converted it into the third goal of the game.
Fans gave Messi a standing ovation and filled the stadium with chants for their beloved superstar.