"Five Monumental stadiums would have been packed" for Messi's farewell match: Scaloni

Immense emotion and excitement have gripped Buenos Aires surrounding the final match of Lionel Messi's Argentina career. Illustrating the level of interest, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni remarked that even if there were five Monumental stadiums, all of them would have been filled to capacity.

The 39-year-old Messi has returned home to take the field one last time in the Argentina jersey. His farewell match against Benin is scheduled to take place at the Monumental Stadium on Tuesday (local time); in Bangladesh time, the match will be held early Wednesday morning (October 7).

Earlier, the world champions had thrashed Burkina Faso 7-0. Speaking to the media after that match about Messi's farewell, Scaloni noted that the sheer volume of messages he received made it clear just how high the demand for tickets was.

In Scaloni's words, even if there were five Monumental stadiums, they would all have been packed. He believes that almost everything that could be said about Messi has already been said; now is the time to simply enjoy these final moments.

The Argentina coach believes the moment Messi steps onto the pitch will be memorable for everyone. Scaloni anticipates that everyone—from the spectators in the stands to Messi himself—will be overcome with emotion on the day.
He added that being part of Messi's farewell is a special experience for him as well. There are two more training sessions with the captain before the match, and they intend to cherish that time too.

Scaloni also touched upon how Argentina would feel after Messi's departure. He believes it is difficult to find a substitute for the feeling created by Messi's presence on the field. Nevertheless, the national team must move forward.
Speaking of Messi's legacy, Scaloni specifically highlighted his professionalism and dedication to training. He noted that Messi was consistently the first to arrive at training and the last to leave the pitch. The standards he maintained regarding physical care and preparation for every match will serve as a shining example for his teammates. The match against Benin will mark Messi's 208th international appearance. He currently holds the national record in both categories, having scored 125 goals in 207 matches for Argentina.

Meanwhile, spectator interest in Messi's farewell match is at an all-time high. A report states that all tickets were sold out in less than two hours after sales began.