Scaloni pays tribute to 'incomparable' Messi ahead of Argentina farewell

Messi will pull on the Argentina shirt for the last time when the world champions face Benin at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, bringing an emotional close to a remarkable international career.

Scaloni admitted there will be a sense of nostalgia surrounding the occasion, with Argentina preparing to lose the most influential player of the past two decades.

"Messi leaves behind something unequalled," Scaloni said. "We have to keep playing, but the feeling of having him on the pitch is unique. I've never seen anyone else convey what he does on a football field, and that is what we're going to miss.

"Only nostalgia remains now that he won't be there. He is an incredible example. The first to arrive, the last to leave, how he takes care of himself, how he faces each game.

"You can see he is a phenomenon just by how he plays, but he has things behind him that his team-mates see, and he is the best example there can be.

"He has left - or is leaving, because he has one more game - something incomparable."

Messi's final appearance will cap a career in which he has won the 2022 World Cup, two Copa America titles and Olympic gold with Argentina.

The 39-year-old is also the country's record appearance-maker and leading scorer, with 125 goals in 208 senior appearances. He became the first player to start three World Cup finals and leaves the national team having established a series of records.

The farewell at the Monumental will also bring together much of Argentina's 2022 World Cup-winning squad, giving Messi the opportunity to celebrate his international career alongside several of his former team-mates.

Among those expected to feature are Nicolas Otamendi, Giovani Lo Celso and Rodrigo De Paul, while the majority of the Qatar 2022 squad have been invited to attend. Paulo Dybala, Nahuel Molina and Alejandro Gomez are among those absent.

While Messi's departure represents the end of an era, Scaloni is confident Argentina have the players to remain competitive.

"The Argentine national team will endure. We will remain at a high level, I have no doubt about that," the coach said.

Argentina have already offered some evidence of life after Messi, winning their two recent friendlies against Bolivia and Burkina Faso by 4-0 and 7-0 respectively.

Established figures such as Emiliano Martinez, Cristian Romero, Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez remain key to the team, while younger players including Nico Paz, Franco Mastantuono, Gianluca Prestianni and Leonel Flores are emerging as potential successors to the current generation.

Argentina's first major tournament without Messi will be the 2028 Copa America, although it remains unclear whether Scaloni will still be in charge by then as he continues negotiations over a new contract.

For now, however, the focus is on giving Messi the farewell his extraordinary Argentina career deserves.