Messi ends Argentina career with a goal as Ronaldo says he remains available for Portugal

Lionel Messi scored in his final match for Argentina on 6 October, a 3-0 friendly win over Benin at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal future remains unsettled after he explained why he left the national team’s camp and said he still wants to play for his country. The contrasting developments put one international farewell on record while leaving another star’s next appearance in doubt.

The Argentine Football Association described the Benin match as Messi’s last appearance for the national team. Its match report said Nicolás Otamendi opened the scoring after a goalless first half, Nicolás Paz made it 2-0 and Messi struck late for the third. Messi then addressed the crowd at the Monumental, thanking supporters and teammates after more than two decades representing Argentina.

How Messi’s Argentina farewell unfolded

Argentina’s victory gave Messi a goal in front of the home crowd on his final national-team night. The association described a full Monumental and an emotional occasion for the captain, whose address followed the match. Its account places his goal at the end of the scoring sequence, after Otamendi and Paz had put the result beyond Benin.

In its account of his speech, the association quoted Messi saying that playing for Argentina was the best thing that had happened in his life. He recalled difficult periods when results had not gone the team’s way and thanked supporters for following Argentina around the country. He also singled out the celebration at the Monumental after Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph as one of his most cherished memories there.

Why Ronaldo left Portugal’s camp

Ronaldo gave his account in a statement published on 6 October, after leaving Portugal’s camp before a Nations League match against Denmark. According to Reuters, he said he had expected to miss matches against Norway and Denmark to manage his fitness. He said coach Jorge Jesus instead told him on the day of the Norway game that he would play for 30 minutes, but Ronaldo warmed up and remained an unused substitute.

The forward said he and Jesus later reached an understanding about how the coach would explain the episode publicly. Ronaldo said Jesus’s subsequent remarks did not reflect that conversation and accused him of breaking his word twice. Those are Ronaldo’s claims about private exchanges, not established accounts of what the two men agreed. Reuters reported that Jesus denied making an agreement with the player.

Ronaldo also accepted responsibility for his own conduct. Reuters reported that he apologised for failing to greet supporters after the Norway match and for leaving his teammates. He said Portugal’s football federation should assess his actions and impose any punishment it considered appropriate. His statement therefore left open the possibility of a sanction, without establishing that one had been decided.

What is known about Ronaldo’s return

Ronaldo said he had not retired from international football and would be available after any suspension, provided he was fit and playing for his club, Reuters reported. Jesus had already left the door open: after Portugal’s win over Norway on 4 October, he said Ronaldo could return if he wished, according to Portuguese broadcaster RTP. Neither statement confirms a place in a future squad.

Reuters said the Portuguese Football Federation did not immediately respond to its request for comment on Ronaldo’s statement. The reviewed accounts establish no federation decision on discipline and no selection decision for another match. Messi’s farewell, by contrast, has already taken place on the field, with Argentina’s association recording the result and his address to supporters.