All football matches across Argentina this weekend will stop in the 10th minute for a one-minute round of applause to honour Lionel Messi following his retirement from international football. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced the nationwide gesture as a recognition of the 39-year-old’s career with the national team.
The pause applies to every level of the game, including men’s and women’s matches, futsal and beach football. Stadiums with big screens have also been instructed to show an official AFA tribute video before kick-off. One of the tributes is going viral on the internet, where fans were heard changing his name.
Watch: Stadium shouts Lionel Messi's name as match paused in emotional tribute in Argentina
Messi, who wore the iconic No 10 shirt throughout most of his international career, confirmed earlier this week that he would no longer play for Argentina. His final appearance came in the 2026 World Cup final, which Argentina lost to Spain. He retires as the country’s most-capped player with 207 appearances and all-time leading scorer with 125 goals, having led the Albiceleste to the 2022 World Cup title as well as Copa América victories in 2021 and 2024.
The AFA described the tribute as “recognition of Lionel Messi’s career with the Argentina national team.” The first instances of the applause were already observed midweek in the Copa Argentina. Messi continues to play club football with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
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