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Argentina clubs honor Lionel Messi with minute's applause

Published : Friday, 4 September, 2026 at 10:45 AM

Observer Online Report

Collected Photo

In Argentina, the name Lionel Messi evokes extraordinary emotion, prompting domestic football clubs to initiate tributes earlier than officially scheduled following his retirement from international football.

Two days after Messi announced his retirement from the Argentina national team, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) outlined plans to honor the legendary forward.

The AFA instructed referees across all domestic divisions to pause matches at the 10th minute of the first half for a one-minute round of applause, originally scheduled to begin next week.

However, Argentine clubs bypassed the proposed timeline to honor the icon immediately during Thursday's Copa Argentina round-of-16 clash between Boca Juniors and Velez Sarsfield.

Following a goalless draw in regulation time at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium in Córdoba, Boca Juniors secured a 4-3 victory on penalties.

During the 10th minute of the first half, referee Sebastián Zunino blew his whistle to halt play. The stadium announcer called upon players and spectators to applaud, triggering a standing ovation throughout the venue.

The AFA directive specified that official tributes would apply to the upcoming round of matches across traditional football, futsal, and beach soccer, accompanied by an official tribute video on stadium screens.

Despite the formal schedule, spontaneous tributes erupted across multiple fixtures.

Argentine newspaper Clarín reported that similar tributes occurred during the Women's Futsal Cup round-of-16 match between Racing and Independiente at Alvear's stadium.

Similar tributes are expected across all Argentine football venues over the weekend.

Messi announced his retirement from international football via Instagram on Monday, ending his illustrious career with the national team at the age of 39.

The AFA stated in its official release that the nation-wide applause acknowledges Messi's monumental achievements in the sky-blue and white jersey.

-SA

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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury

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