Three goals against Benin, a drone show, and the voice of Soledad Pastorutti. But the most difficult part of the night at the Monumental had yet to come.
It was time to say goodbye. In front of more than 85.000 people, Lionel Messi took the microphone and his voice began to crack almost immediately. “It’s hard to say anything; there are so many emotions, so many things. The first thing I think of is my old man”, the captain began.
Overwhelmed by the magnitude of the farewell, he lowered his gaze to catch his breath before continuing. “I have nothing left to do but be grateful; it was a great honor for me to wear this shirt, even during the worst moments we’ve had”, he said. And he added: “I never stopped fighting, battling, giving it my all”.
The ending was the most human of all: “Not coming back will be a great pain; I’d like to do this all my life, because I swear to you it’s the most beautiful thing that can happen to you”.
