Some goodbyes are watched on television, while others bring the planet to a standstill.
On October 6, 2026, Estadio Monumental welcomed around 85.000 people for the friendly between Argentina and Benin, Lionel Messi’s last match with the national team after some 21 years of career. According to the source, the match accumulated more than 3.100 million views recorded in minute 10 alone, a figure that makes it the most-watched event in history.
To put that into perspective: the 2022 World Cup final, the one Messi lifted in Qatar, had recorded 1500 million live viewers. In other words, his farewell would have surpassed even the greatest night of his career.
In a single day, there were more than 3 million posts worldwide about his farewell and more than 37 million interactions, according to Monitor Digital de Redes y Medios. One of the most widely seen posts was by Neymar, his friend and former teammate. Messi leaves with 208 appearances, 126 goals, and 69 assists for Argentina.