Lionel Messi once again reiterated that Thursday night’s 3–0 World Cup qualifying victory over Venezuela would be his final competitive fixture for the Argentina national team on home soil, taking the emotional moment to revel in how his domestic perception has dramatically shifted to mirror the admiration he finds in Barcelona.

Argentina’s place in next summer’s World Cup has been assured since March and their penultimate qualifier at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires was played with a testimonial air. The fleet-footed forwards Lionel Scaloni has installed to buzz around Messi appeared hell-bent on setting up a goal for their talismanic captain.

Julián Alvarez was the first to achieve that feat in the 39th minute. Like so many in Argentina’s squad, the Atlético Madrid forward grew up idolizing his current teammate, notably asking Messi for a selfie when he was 12. Thirteen years later, the world’s cameras snapped the pair embracing after Alvarez had tiptoed into a clear shooting position inside the penalty box to square for Messi to scoop Argentina in front.

Lautaro Martínez doubled the advantage in the second half before Messi fittingly concluded proceedings with his second goal of the night and the 114th of his international career.

“There were a lot of emotions,” Messi reflected. “I knew it was the last time here for the points. I experienced a lot of things on this pitch, good and not so good, but I’ll take the best with me. I’m very happy. Being able to finish this way here is what I always dreamed of.”

The entire stadium serenaded Messi with a rhythmic, almost religious, chanting of his name while bowing down after the match. As the veteran forward noted, he has not always enjoyed such affection from his nation.

Messi never played a senior domestic club game in Argentina, leaving his country of birth as a tiny 13-year-old for Barcelona who had been convinced to finance the expensive hormone treatment which would ensure that he grew healthily.

Despite amassing arguably the most impressive body of work any player has ever been able to boast during his time in Catalonia, Messi’s failure to win a major trophy for Argentina left some fans bitter about his perceived drop-off when representing his country. Once Messi led a new breed of younger players to glory in the 2021 Copa América, he had firmly cemented his place in the hearts of all Argentines.

Triumph at the 2022 World Cup only heightened that acclaim and the undiluted adoration washing his way over the subsequent years has undoubtedly fueled his continued involvement for the national team.

“For many years I had the love in Barcelona, ​​and I still have it,” Messi wistfully outlined. “My dream was to have it here, in my country, with my people. For several years, many things were discussed, but I’ll take with me all the good things we did with the group that tried and failed to win. Then it happened to me and a few others from that group. Everything we experienced was beautiful.”

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘My Dream’—Lionel Messi Bids Emotional Farewell to Argentina With Barcelona Comparison.