Argentina will face Benin at the Monumental Stadium (Buenos Aires) at 6:00 AM on October 7th (Vietnam time). This will be Messi's farewell match to Argentinian fans, marking the end of his more than 21-year journey with the national team. On August 30th, the 39-year-old superstar bid farewell with an emotional letter.
For player Hai Long, Messi is not only a special player but also someone associated with the childhood of many football fans.
The Hanoi FC midfielder shared: “Messi is an inspiration to many young boys, bringing talent to football. The childhood of many players is linked to the image of Messi. Time spares no one, and the time has come for Messi to stop playing for the national team. This is something everyone regrets, but the football world must soon get used to no longer having Messi in major tournaments.”
Hai Long continued: “The first team I loved and was most interested in was Barcelona. Messi was my inspiration and role model for my professional football career.”
Messi made his debut for the Argentina national team in 2005. After 207 appearances, he scored 125 goals, all of which were national team records. He also provided 68 assists for Argentina. Messi has played 34 matches across 6 World Cups and scored 21 goals. He is the player with the most appearances in the history of the tournament.
Wearing the Argentina jersey, Messi won the Copa America in 2021 and 2024, the Finalssima in 2022, and the World Cup in 2022. At the youth level, he won the U20 World Cup in 2005 and the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Of these, the 2022 World Cup is the most important title in Messi's international career.
Hai Long shared his thoughts: “Messi has had so many moments of genius that people will remember and talk about forever. All of them are achievements of world football. Choosing the most memorable moment is really difficult, because he has created so many special things in his career.”
Source: https://thethao.sggp.org.vn/tuyen-thu-hai-long-messi-la-nguon-cam-hung-cho-nhieu-the-he-cau-thu-post875236.html
