Messi prepares for final Argentina match against Benin, Rediff.com reported

Lionel Messi is preparing for his final international appearance for Argentina on Tuesday in a farewell match against Benin at Buenos Aires’ Monumental stadium, bringing to a close a two-decade career with the national team, Rediff.com reported.

The Discovery and Early Confusion in Argentina

When Messi began his journey as a teenager at Barcelona, Argentine football authorities barely knew he existed. According to Argentine journalist and author Sergio Levinsky, writing in Messi and Everything Else as cited by Rediff.com, Spain attempted to persuade the young prodigy to represent them internationally.

At the 2003 Under-17 World Cup in Finland, Spain defeated Argentina 3-2 in extra time. Levinsky reported that Cesc Fabregas, Messi’s teammate at Barcelona’s La Masia academy who scored twice in that match, told Argentine delegates, You lost to us because we’ve got your best player at Barcelona and he’s a genius.

Argentina youth coach Hugo Tocalli recalled a similar encounter at the Ole Summit, noting that Spain’s head chef told him Argentina needed a kid playing in Barcelona to win the tournament. Finding Messi proved difficult for the Argentine Football Association (AFA).

AFA employee Omar Souto tracked down the Messi family in Spain using a Rosario telephone directory, mistakenly asking for Leonardo. Souto was told, His name isn’t Leonardo, it’s Lionel, according to the documentary Messi: The Forgotten Tape referenced by Rediff.com. Paperwork confusion also plagued the early contact, with the AFA sending Barcelona a fax regarding a player named Mecci, spelling the surname with a double c because officials believed he might be Italian.

Messi Fights Skepticism over His Foreign Upbringing

After playing two under-20 friendlies for Argentina in 2004, Messi faced lingering skepticism. At the 2005 Under-20 World Cup in the Netherlands, he started on the bench as Argentina lost their opening match. Levinsky told Rediff.com that there was strong resistance to calling up a kid who didn’t play in the country, forcing Messi to fight against being considered a foreigner due to his life in Spain.

Some fans labeled him pecho frio for failing to replicate his stellar Barcelona form. Public perception began to shift during a difficult 2011 World Cup qualifier against Colombia. Messi helped Argentina rally from a deficit in harsh conditions, despite being exhausted and vomiting on the pitch.

His bond with the nation solidified further after his brief international retirement following a penalty shootout loss to Chile in the 2016 Copa America final. Instead of blaming him, fans publicly pleaded for his return. Levinsky noted that supporters realized Messi was not responsible for tournament defeats but was the sole reason the team reached finals.

Titles Under Scaloni and the Final Farewell

Under manager Lionel Scaloni, Messi assumed the undisputed leadership of a new generation of players. He guided Argentina to two Copa America titles and the 2022 World Cup victory.

Levinsky observed that while Messi’s more outspoken captaincy drew comparisons to Diego Maradona, framing them as a rivalry misses the mark. It is Messi and Maradona, Levinsky told Rediff.com. They were both geniuses in different eras.

Rediff.com and Rediff-TV both confirmed that the Tuesday match against Benin at the Monumental stadium marks the end of this journey. Levinsky summarized the unique relationship between the player and his homeland by stating, Messi was like suddenly finding out you have an 18-year-old son. You have to start loving him without having known he existed. It was a love under construction.