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AFA to honor Messi in every Argentine stadium after his national-team retirement

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • The AFA ordered a minute of applause for Lionel Messi at the 10-minute mark of the first half in all official men’s and women’s competitions this weekend.
  • Stadiums with screens will show a tribute video thanking Messi for uniting Argentina behind the national-team shirt.
  • Messi leaves the national team after more than 200 matches, 125 goals and major titles including the 2022 World Cup and the 2021 and 2024 Copa América.

Lionel Messi will be honored across Argentina this weekend. The Argentine Football Association has ordered a minute of applause in every stadium hosting official competition after the 39-year-old announced his retirement from the national team.

The tribute will take place at the 10-minute mark of the first half. It applies to every category and discipline covered by the AFA, including men’s and women’s 11-a-side football, futsal and beach soccer. Stadiums with screens will also show an institutional video celebrating Messi’s career in Argentina’s colors.

The nearly two-minute video includes images from different stages of Messi’s national-team career and ends with the message: “Thank you for uniting an entire country behind this crest. We will miss you.”

Thank you for uniting an entire country behind this crest. We will miss you.

· Argentine Football AssociationThe message appears in the AFA tribute video for Messi.

Messi, Argentina’s captain and No. 10, announced his decision in an emotional handwritten letter. “I gave everything I had, I have nothing more to give, and there are also some very talented young players coming through who deserve their chance,” he wrote.

He played more than 200 matches for Argentina and scored 125 goals with 68 assists between his debut in 2005 and the recent 2026 World Cup final, where Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain. His honors include the 2022 World Cup, Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024, the 2022 Finalissima, the 2005 Under-20 World Cup and Olympic gold in 2008.

I gave everything I had, I have nothing more to give, and there are also some very talented young players coming through who deserve their chance.

· Lionel MessiMessi wrote this in his announcement of his retirement from Argentina’s national team.
About this summary

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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