Lionel Messi's international career included a perfect record at River Plate's Monumental, never once losing with Argentina at the historic venue. Lionel Messi closes his international career with a perfect record at one particular venue, having never lost a match with Argentina at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental. The stat resurfaced this week as clubs and fans across Argentine football paid tribute to Messi following his retirement announcement from the national team, with River among those honoring his legacy. Across 28 appearances at the Monumental, spanning two decades of World Cup qualifiers and friendlies, Messi finished with 22 wins and six draws, never once suffering a defeat on that ground. He also found the net 19 times in that stretch, further cementing the Monumental as one of the most fruitful stages of his international career. The gesture reflected the broader wave of tributes that followed Messi’s retirement letter, in which he described the decision as one that “hurt and still hurts the soul,” while thanking teammates, coaches and fans for two decades of shared history with the Albiceleste. 🏟️ Una historia 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮 en el Monumental: 28 partidos, 19 goles, 22 victorias y 6 empates.Gracias por tu magia en casa, Leo 🇦🇷🐐 pic.twitter.com/kjRbmBk4kI— River Plate (@RiverPlate) August 31, 2026 Every Messi match with Argentina at the Monumental DateResultCompetitionOct 9, 2005Argentina 2-0 PeruWorld Cup QualifiersOct 13, 2007Argentina 2-0 ChileWorld Cup QualifiersNov 17, 2007Argentina 3-0 BoliviaWorld Cup QualifiersJun 15, 2008Argentina 1-1 EcuadorWorld Cup QualifiersSep 4, 2008Argentina 1-1 ParaguayWorld Cup QualifiersOct 11, 2008Argentina 2-1 UruguayWorld Cup QualifiersMar 28, 2009Argentina 4-0 VenezuelaWorld Cup QualifiersJun 6, 2009Argentina 1-0 ColombiaWorld Cup QualifiersOct 10, 2009Argentina 2-1 PeruWorld Cup QualifiersSep 7, 2010Argentina 4-1 SpainFriendlyJun 20, 2011Argentina 4-0 AlbaniaFriendlyOct 7, 2011Argentina 4-1 ChileWorld Cup QualifiersNov 11, 2011Argentina 1-1 BoliviaWorld Cup QualifiersJun 2, 2012Argentina 4-0 EcuadorWorld Cup QualifiersMar 22, 2013Argentina 3-0 VenezuelaWorld Cup QualifiersJun 7, 2013Argentina 0-0 ColombiaWorld Cup QualifiersJun 4, 2014Argentina 3-0 Trinidad and TobagoFriendlyMar 24, 2017Argentina 1-0 ChileWorld Cup QualifiersSep 6, 2017Argentina 1-1 VenezuelaWorld Cup QualifiersSep 9, 2021Argentina 3-0 BoliviaWorld Cup QualifiersOct 10, 2021Argentina 3-0 UruguayWorld Cup QualifiersMar 23, 2023Argentina 2-0 PanamaFriendlySep 7, 2023Argentina 1-0 EcuadorWorld Cup QualifiersOct 12, 2023Argentina 1-0 ParaguayWorld Cup QualifiersOct 10, 2024Argentina 1-1 VenezuelaWorld Cup QualifiersOct 15, 2024Argentina 6-0 BoliviaWorld Cup QualifiersJun 10, 2025Argentina 1-1 ColombiaWorld Cup QualifiersSep 4, 2025Argentina 3-0 VenezuelaWorld Cup Qualifiers Messi’s trophy haul with Argentina Messi’s international career with Argentina was defined not just by numbers, but by six major titles across youth and senior level. He won the U-20 World Cup in 2005 and Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing Games with Argentina’s youth sides, laying the foundation for what was to come with the senior national team. As an adult, he added four more to that tally: the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 Finalissima, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and the 2024 Copa America. Those six trophies, combined with his unbeaten record at the Monumental, round out a legacy that stands as the most decorated in Argentine football history.
With Lionel Messi's retirement from the Argentina national team, several players could be in line to inherit the iconic No. 10 shirt. With Lionel Messi’s retirement from the Argentina national team now confirmed, one of the more symbolic questions is who takes over the iconic No. 10 shirt. There is no official word yet on how the decision will be made, and it remains largely speculative at this point, but a handful of names stand out as logical candidates given their standing within the squad. Unlike the captaincy, which typically falls to the most senior or respected figure in the dressing room and now looks set to go to Cristian Romero, the No. 10 carries a different kind of weight in Argentine football, tied directly to the legacies of Diego Maradona and now Messi himself. Whoever wears it next won’t just be filling a number on the roster, they’ll be stepping into a symbol that carries decades of history and expectation. Several established figures within the current squad could realistically be handed the shirt. Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister both carry significant weight in the dressing room and have been core pieces of this Argentina cycle, while Thiago Almada has continued to develop into an increasingly important creative option for Scaloni. Nico Paz, still just breaking into the senior squad, rounds out the list as a longer-term bet given his familiarity with the number at club level with Como. There’s also the possibility that Scaloni opts to hold off entirely, letting the number sit without a clear owner for a stretch while the new-look Argentina finds its footing in the post-Messi era. Franco Mastantuono is the last player other than Lionel Messi to wear the No. 10 jersey for Argentina. (Getty Images) Who wore the 10 when Messi wasn’t there The most direct precedent dates back to September 2025, when Franco Mastantuono wore the No. 10 shirt in Argentina’s World Cup qualifier defeat to Ecuador, with Messi left out of that squad entirely. Going back more than a decade, several others have worn the No. 10 for Argentina whenever Messi wasn’t available: PlayerLast time wearing No. 10Lionel MessiJuly 2026Franco MastantuonoSeptember 2025Angel CorreaMarch 2025Paulo DybalaSeptember 2024Sergio AgueroOctober 2016Ever BanegaSeptember 2016Angel Di MariaNovember 2015Javier PastoreOctober 2015Erik LamelaJune 2015Walter MontilloNovember 2012
Arsenal have one of the best squads in Europe. The Gunners spent £250m last summer, bringing in eight players as they won the Premier League, and have already spent about £200m this year, turning Piero Hincapie's loan deal into a permanent one (£34.5m), signing Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United (£75m), Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge (£34m) and Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa (£55m).
Celtic are on alert as a possible destination for exciting young winger Kendry Paez, who is on the books at Chelsea. The post Celtic Now In Mix For Late Loan Of Top Talent But ‘Would Have To Prove’ Key Factor appeared first on Inside Futbol | Latest Football News, Transfer Rumours & Articles.
Lionel Messi has officially said goodbye to the Argentina national team. Here is a full recap of the titles he won while representing La Albiceleste. Lionel Messi will no longer play for Argentina after confirming his retirement from international football. He leaves behind a legacy defined by milestones and titles that solidify his status as a true legend. Modern soccer cannot be understood without Lionel Messi‘s immense contributions. The legendary forward has won virtually every trophy available, and his accomplishments with Argentina will forever be cherished by La Albiceleste’s faithful. Across all levels, Lionel Messi won six titles while wearing Argentina’s colors. Although success with the senior team arrived late in his career, he ultimately secured the championships he had dreamed of his entire life. Lionel Messi’s titles with Argentina Lionel Messi’s international career was marked by both triumph and heartbreak. At 18, he won the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup with La Albiceleste, starting his international journey on the right foot. Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina. In 2008, Messi led Argentina to an Olympic Gold Medal in Beijing. Winning two major youth honors early on convinced many that senior success would follow immediately, but fate had other plans. Despite relentless effort, Messi endured years of near-misses with the senior national team. It wasn’t until 2021 that he finally lifted his first senior trophy as Argentina’s captain, defeating Brazil to win the Copa America. A year later, Messi guided Argentina to two pivotal titles: the Finalissima against Italy and the FIFA World Cup. The World Cup triumph stood as his crowning achievement, defeating powerhouse France in a thrilling final decided by a penalty shootout. In 2024, Messi and Argentina were crowned Copa America champions once more, defeating Colombia to reaffirm their status as the dominant force in CONMEBOL. The 2026 World Cup marked the end of Messi’s international journey In his official retirement announcement, Messi confirmed that he made the decision following Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. It remains unknown whether a victory would have persuaded Messi to continue playing for Argentina, leaving fans with one of the greatest “what ifs” in football history.
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