The match between Boca Juniors and Velez Sarsfield in the Argentine Cup round of 16 witnessed the first official implementation of the Argentine Football Association's decision to pause the game to honor Lionel Messi following his announcement of his international retirement.
Boca Juniors match paused to honor Messi
The Boca Juniors vs. Velez Sarsfield match in the Argentine Cup was stopped at the 10th minute, after which the crowd chanted Messi's name. The match ended with Boca Juniors winning on penalties.
The Argentine Football Association had announced that matches this week would be paused at the 10th minute to applaud and honor Messi's illustrious international career, which spanned 21 years.
This decision comes shortly after Messi, aged 39, announced his retirement from the Argentine national team, making the 2026 World Cup final, in which the Spanish team won the title against the Tango, Messi's last appearance.
Argentina unites to honor Messi
This symbolic gesture, which focuses on the famous number 10 jersey that Messi wore throughout his national team career, will include all types of football, including men's and women's football, futsal, and beach soccer.
Additionally, stadiums equipped with video screens will show a special video prepared by the Argentine Football Association, highlighting Messi's journey from his first appearance for the national team in 2005 to winning the 2022 World Cup and the Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.
Messi's stats with the Argentine national team
Messi ended his international career as the all-time top scorer for the Argentine national team with 125 goals, and also became the most capped player for the team with 207 matches.
During his career with Argentina, Messi led his country to victory in the 2022 World Cup and the Copa America in 2021 and 2024.
Messi also participated in six World Cup editions and tops the list of players with the most matches in the tournament's history with 34 games, while also holding the record for the most wins in the World Cup with 23 victories.
