Chelsea star Emi Martinez will be paying tribute to Lionel Messi this evening
Emi Martinez has a new haircut to pay tribute to Lionel Messi ahead of his Argentina farewell.
Emi Martinez has a new haircut to pay tribute to Lionel Messi ahead of his Argentina farewell.(Image: Dany Ale Instagram)
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Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has shown off a new hairstyle to pay tribute to international teammate Lionel Messi ahead of his final appearance for Argentina.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner will make one final appearance for the national team against Benin on Tuesday, after being invited to take part in the friendly.
Messi retired from international duty following the defeat to Spain in the World Cup final, penning an emotional message following the death of his father.
The fixture in Buenos Aires is set to be transformed into a celebration of his illustrious career, with every member of Argentina's triumphant 2022 World Cup squad invited to attend.
The Chelsea goalkeeper, who is expected to feature in the game, is sporting a new haircut with the letter M styled into the back of his head, paying tribute to Messi in a video shared on social media.
The 39-year-old will bring his international career to a close with 208 senior caps, the most of any player in the nation's history.
Emi Martinez has a new hairstyle paying tribute to Lionel Messi.
Emi Martinez has a new hairstyle paying tribute to Lionel Messi.(Image: Dany Ale Instagram)
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Messi's 125 goals for Argentina also stands as a record, while he remains the only player to have started three World Cup finals.
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni paid tribute to the national side's "unique" and "incomparable" number 10.
Scaloni told La Nacion: "Only nostalgia remains now that he won't be there. It's no longer just about the football; we have to keep playing.
"But the feeling of having him on the pitch is unique. That is what I would like people to understand: what he transmits on a football field.
"To everyone: to the opponent, to the team-mate, to the rival fan, to his own. I haven't seen it in anyone else.
"That is what we are going to miss the most. The Argentine national team will continue to exist, but logically it won't be the same.
"He is an incredible example. The first to arrive, the last to leave, how he takes care of himself, how he faces each game.
"You can see he is a phenomenon just by how he plays, but he has things behind him that his team-mates see, and he is the best example there can be.
"He has left – or is leaving, because he has one more game – something incomparable."