The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has announced that all domestic league matches this weekend will be stopped for one minute to honour Lionel Messi following his retirement from international football.
The tribute will take place in the 10th minute of every match, representing Messi’s famous No. 10 shirt. The referee will stop the game and players and fans will join in a minute of applause.
Messi, 39, announced on Monday that he was retiring from the Argentina national team after more than 20 years of international football.
His final appearance for Argentina came in July when the country lost to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
“In tribute and homage to Lionel Messi’s career with the Argentina national team, at the 10th minute of play in all matches the referees will stop the game and a general minute of applause will be held,” the AFA said in a statement on Thursday.
Messi retires as Argentina’s most-capped player, with a record 207 appearances and 125 goals.
He also led Argentina to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and won two Copa America titles with the national team.
This is the second time Messi has announced his retirement from international football. He first retired in 2016 after Argentina lost the Copa America final to Chile. Messi had missed a penalty during the shootout.
However, he later changed his mind and returned to the national team. His comeback was followed by one of the most successful periods in Argentina’s football history.
Messi made his senior international debut in 2005 as a substitute in Argentina’s 2-1 friendly win over Hungary.
Although he joined Barcelona’s La Masia academy at the age of 13, Messi never played senior club football in Argentina.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner leaves international football as Argentina’s all-time leading goalscorer and appearance holder.
He also ranks second on the all-time World Cup scoring list with 21 goals, behind France’s Kylian Mbappe, who has 22. Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo remains the leading international goalscorer with 146 goals.
Messi said his decision to retire was influenced partly by the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who died aged 68 after a long illness.
The Argentina captain said the loss had made him even more certain that ending his international career was the right decision.
Messi will continue his club career with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. He is currently under contract with the American club until the end of the 2028 season.
