'I don't want to leave this pitch'

Lionel Messi delivered an emotional farewell speech after playing his final international match for Argentina against Benin.

His speech follows below.

What should I say today? I really do not know. So many emotions are running through my heart. First of all, I remember my father. I can only express my gratitude. I mentioned this in my farewell letter as well.

Wearing this jersey for more than 20 years was a great honour for me. We went through the hardest times. However, we never stopped fighting. We never backed down from giving our all. We never stopped standing by this team.

Now, the thought of not returning is deeply painful. Honestly, I will want to return here all my life. Nothing in a footballer's life is more beautiful than playing for the Argentina national team.

I want to stay here forever. But I feel this is the right time to say goodbye.

The last World Cup meant so much to me. We dreamed of becoming world champions again. We came very close. Honestly, nothing unbelievable happened. We gave everything we had. The match against England exhausted us physically and mentally. To be honest, we barely survived.

Still, we fought. We fought as we always do. We fought for this jersey and for the teammates who walked this long path with me. Do not doubt one thing. Every teammate who played beside me always gave everything for this jersey.

I want to thank my teammates. I thank them for the time spent with this team. They helped me fulfill my childhood dreams. The dream of becoming world champion, the dream of becoming American champion, and the dream of winning the Finalissima. They helped me dream of winning every tournament we played.

It was a huge honour to share time with them on and off the field. I was ready to fight any team. I knew I had warriors beside me who would give everything.

I will miss playing here deeply. I am lucky to have played across the entire country. Wherever I went, I received extraordinary love from the people.

I am grateful for everything I received and experienced. Stadiums were full wherever we played for all this time. People came everywhere regardless of the match, whether World Cup, Copa America, or any other game. They came with great effort. We know how hard that was.

Still, we always felt like we were playing at home. People embraced us wherever we went. We truly felt that love.

One of the happiest days of my career happened on this pitch. It was when we returned to play here after winning the World Cup. I will never forget the feeling of that day.

It was a extraordinarily beautiful day.

I still watch videos of that day and get emotional. That day will remain part of my history forever. It will remain in the history of these people and my family. It was an incredibly beautiful day.

Thank you all very much.

Today, returning to this pitch, I feel perhaps the hardest day of my career. Today I say goodbye to the national team. I say goodbye to all of you as well.

I will miss stepping onto the pitch wearing the national colors. However, from now on, I will be on that side with you. I will cheer for these boys. I will support them for whatever comes next.

We will always stay united.

It has been proven repeatedly that when we unite and stand together, we are stronger than any team. We can overcome any obstacle.

Difficult times will come ahead. They certainly will. What we achieved during this period is not ordinary. Therefore, when tough times come, we must stand by these boys even more.

I always tell them one thing. I said it in our last discussion too. Building a strong and united team is essential to achieve big goals. Some people want to see the national team fail. We cannot give them that joy.

Hard times and bad times reveal the true strength of a team's foundation. That is when you see if a team shares a real bond.

A team without a strong bond struggles to achieve great things. I can tell you that we were an extraordinary team. That is why we achieved so much.

Honestly, I do not know if I have ever spoken this much in my life.

I do not want to leave. I do not want to leave this pitch.

I just want to tell you one thing: I love you all. I will miss you deeply.

I am deeply grateful to God that I am an Argentine. Being an Argentine is my greatest pride. Fulfilling my dreams with all of you is my biggest pride as well.

Thank you all very much.

-SA