Lionel Messi has played his final game for Argentina in a friendly against Benin, and Manchester City midfielder Enzo Fernandez broke down in tears on the pitch
Enzo Fernandez in tears as Lionel Messi delivers a speech
Enzo Fernandez was in tears as Lionel Messi delivered his speech(Image: TyC Sports)
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Enzo Fernandez broke down in floods of tears as Lionel Messi delivered a stirring speech after playing his final match for Argentina in a friendly against Benin.
Messi, 39, went out on a high after assisting goals for Nicolas Otamendi and Nico Paz before scoring their third in a 3-0 win. Fernandez started the match before being substituted late on as part of a quadruple change that also saw Alexis Mac Allister, Cristian Romero and Lautaro Martinez come off.
All players returned to the pitch as Messi delivered his farewell speech. Fernandez and Romero were both captured tearing up and struggling to contain their emotions during the post-match ceremony.
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Lionel Messi pausing during a speech to compose himself
Lionel Messi had to pause during the post-match speech to compose himself
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Asked afterwards about being involved in such a historic night, Fernandez said, in quotes translated into English from Spanish: "A very exciting day to be honest, a lot of mixed feelings. I hope Leo enjoyed that we are going to miss him a lot."
Before the match, Manchester City's summer signing shared three training photos of himself alongside Messi. The post on Instagram is captioned: "Thank you forever".
In 40 of the 51 caps Fernandez has for Argentina, he shared a pitch with Messi. Those games include the 2024 Copa America final and the 2022 and 2026 World Cup finals.
Enzo Fernandez and Lionel Messi talking during the match
Enzo Fernandez has played the majority of his matches for Argentina alongside Lionel Messi
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They combined for six goals during that time. The last of those was Argentina's equaliser against England in the World Cup semi-finals.
Messi assisting on that occasion saw him return the favour for one from two years ago. Fernandez set up his goal in their Copa America semi-final win over Canada, a tournament they went on to win by beating Colombia after extra time in the final.
That was the last trophy Messi lifted as Argentina captain after they lost this summer's World Cup final to Spain. The skipper then announced his impending retirement in the aftermath of their defeat.
A drone light show depicting Lionel Messi lifting the World Cup trophy
Drone displays above Estadio Monumental depicted various moments from Lionel Messi's Argentina career
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Fernandez posted an emotional statement on social media in response to the news, saying in part: "We shared rallies, locker rooms, talks, hugs, difficult times, and amazing moments, and we ended up being world champions together.
"But most of all, I will always thank you for how you've been with me since I arrived. I came in excited to share the pitch with my idol, and I met a person who, from the very first moment, made me feel like one more.
"You always had a word, advice, a hug or just a way to make me feel at ease when I needed it. I will never forget that."
The 25-year-old midfielder is now on his way back to City headquarters for their crunch Premier League clash away at Liverpool. It will be Enzo Maresca's outfit's first match since the Premier League found them guilty on all financial charges levelled against them.