The stadium erupted in chants of ‘Messi, Messi’ as the match was halted in Argentina to honor Lionel Messi – watch | Football news

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Argentina has begun paying tribute to Lionel Messi after the soccer star announced his retirement from international football earlier this week.The first honor came during the Argentina Cup match between Velez Sarsfield and Boca Juniors on Wednesday, when play was stopped in the tenth minute for a round of applause at the Mario Alberto Kempes stadium.Fans stood all over the stadium and applauded Messi, causing the match to be stopped for a brief moment.Two of Messi’s former teammates in the Argentina national team, Leandro Paredes and Manuel Lanzini, were on the field during the tribute.The match later ended in a 0-0 draw, with Boca Juniors winning on penalties 4-3.The honor comes after the decision of the Argentine Football Association, which announced that the referees will stop playing in the tenth minute of each match in the next round of the final tournament, as well as in other men’s and women’s competitions across the country, to honor Messi’s international career.Messi announced his retirement from international football after the 2026 World Cup finals, ending a 21-year career with the Argentina national team.He finished his career with 125 goals and 68 assists in 207 matches for Argentina.Messi said in his retirement message that the decision “hurts me from the depths of my soul,” but added that he “knows that the time has come” to stop representing his country.Messi’s biggest achievement with Argentina came when he led the team to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title in Qatar. He also helped Argentina win the Copa America in 2021 and 2024, ending the country’s 28-year wait for a major title.Although he is one of Argentina’s biggest sporting icons, Messi has never played football at club level in his home country. He moved to Barcelona at the age of thirteen and built his career there.Messi has only retired from international football and continues to play football with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.