In an international friendly match between Argentina and Benin, Messi made his farewell appearance for the national team. In the 61st minute, Messi assisted Nico Paz, who scored.

On August 17, 2005, Messi made his debut for the national team in a friendly against Hungary. Coming on as a substitute, he received a red card just one minute later—a dramatic beginning to his international career. At that time, Messi wore the No. 18 jersey.

In his final national team match, Messi assisted Nico Paz's goal. Remarkably, Paz was wearing the No. 18 jersey—the same number Messi wore on his international debut nearly two decades earlier.

At just 22 years old, Nico Paz has scored in all three of Argentina's matches during this international break. His current market value stands at approximately 80 million euros.

Paz is widely considered a leading candidate to wear Argentina's No. 10 jersey after Messi. This assist and the shared No. 18 connection have already taken on symbolic significance as a passing of the torch between the old and new generation of Argentine football.

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