Messi's official retirement from the national team left Scaloni feeling incredibly sad.

Lionel Messi officially retired from the "Pampas Eagles" after scoring a goal in a friendly match that helped Argentina defeat Benin 3-0. Lionel Scaloni expressed his deep sadness at Messi's retirement, stating that coaching the superstar was a dream come true.

In the match against Benin, Messi assisted Otamendi to score in the second half, giving Argentina a 1-0 lead. In the 61st minute, Nico Paz received a pass from Messi and curled a shot into the net, extending Argentina's lead to 2-0.

In the 71st minute, Argentina was awarded a penalty, which Messi converted. Ultimately, Argentina defeated Benin 3-0 in this friendly match.

The 39-year-old Messi has made 208 appearances for Argentina in his career, contributing 126 goals and 68 assists. He has also helped Argentina win one World Cup, two Copa America titles, and one CONCACAF Champions League title. In addition, Messi has won the Ballon d'Or eight times for his outstanding performances.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said, "This is a dream come true. I never thought I could become the coach of the greatest player in history. We will always be grateful to him for giving us the opportunity to walk alongside him. I cried because so many things came flooding my mind. It's so sad that we will never see him play again."

“We are working with young players right now, and that process will continue, but the feeling of having Messi around is incomparable. I have never seen that kind of aura from anyone else in my life. That player who could solve problems in a game with his talent is no longer there.”

Scaloni shared, "After the game, I just said hello to him. He had so many emotions to process, and I didn't ask him any more questions. It was all so touching. In the first half of the game, his teammates didn't even know how to handle things; they were a bit nervous because it was a special day."

"It wasn't easy for his teammates who wanted him to say goodbye in the best way. It was also an unprecedented experience for them. So we didn't play well in the first half because everyone wanted him to end the day in the best way."

Scaloni also said, "This is a very emotional and sad day because he will never wear this jersey again. We will always be grateful for everything he has done for us and for always defending this jersey. It's indescribable to have the best player in the world on your side."

“We can certainly build a very good team, but I’ve never seen that kind of aura in anyone else. The impact he has had is something I’ve never seen before.”

In addition, Scaloni added, "We now have some new players who bring a fresh perspective and some things that weren't there before, such as using wingers, which is a good option. Although we've only played three games so far, we're happy with it."

“We are working hard to build team cohesion and introduce new ideas. Seeing them cooperate with each other in training, we have high expectations for the future.”

Image source: Internet