“Gracias 10”: adidas Football’s tribute to Messi went beyond a farewell film

For Lionel Messi’s final Argentina match, adidas Football made its own profile part of the goodbye. Its X account adopted an Argentina shirt bearing the number 10 and the word “Gracias” as its profile picture. The header showed Messi kissing the national team’s badge.

Those changes sat alongside a wider tribute around Argentina’s match against Benin at the Monumental in Buenos Aires on October 6, 2026. adidas shared farewell videos, messages from other players and tributes built around the shirt Messi had worn for more than two decades. Giant jerseys, a dedicated match ball and a special Argentina collection carried the occasion into physical spaces.

Messi’s own words led the farewell film

The central video gave Messi the voice of the farewell. He spoke about leaving in peace, having given everything to Argentina and what the national shirt had meant to him. His message thanked the supporters who had accompanied him through his international career.

Mercedes Sosa’s recording of “Gracias a la vida” accompanied the film. The music brought another familiar Argentine voice into a tribute focused on gratitude and the emotional weight of saying goodbye.

The closing gesture was simple. Messi hung his Argentina jersey on a hanger and walked out of the frame. A shirt that had represented his dream, pride and life was left behind.

adidas Football’s caption picked up his words, “thank you for loving me so much.” Alongside this film, the brand shared other farewell pieces, including videos in which fellow players dedicated messages to Messi.

The thank-you appeared across adidas profiles

The profile changes extended the tribute beyond individual posts. On X, the number 10 shirt and the image of Messi kissing the badge made the farewell visible on the account’s main page.

adidas Instagram accounts in different markets also changed their profile pictures to put Messi at the centre. The goodbye appeared across the brand’s international social presence, reaching audiences beyond Argentina.

The shared imagery gave those separate accounts a common subject during the farewell. Messi’s shirt, his number and the message of thanks connected the social activity with the larger installations created for the occasion.

Giant shirts brought “Gracias 10” to Rosario and Buenos Aires

In Rosario, Messi’s hometown, adidas displayed a giant Argentina jersey at the National Flag Monument. Measuring around 30 metres long, it carried his number 10 and a message of thanks.

The installation reproduced the special AFA x Messi shirt. Agency newcycle developed the creative idea and produced content for the Rosario activation, placing the tribute in the city where his story began.

At the Monumental, another enormous number 10 shirt bearing “Gracias” covered part of the pitch before the match. The jersey became a public tribute at both ends of his journey, from his hometown to the stadium hosting his Argentina farewell.

Messi’s signature logo appeared on the farewell kit

The shirt worn for the match belonged to a special Argentina collection unveiled on September 25. Its design drew on the Argentine flag, with sky blue and white supported by gold detailing.

Messi’s signature logo replaced the adidas performance logo on the jersey. Commemorative details included his number 10 framed by laurels and references to the Sun of May. The collection also included pre-match apparel and culture wear.

adidas prepared a special ball for the farewell too. Together with the kit and giant jerseys, it carried the tribute onto the field itself.

Argentina won the match 3–0. Across the farewell film, player messages, profile changes and public displays, adidas kept returning to the same object and sentiment: Messi’s Argentina shirt, and a thank-you for everything he had given it.

Credits

Brand: adidas Football. Featured player and farewell-film voice: Lionel Messi. Film music: “Gracias a la vida,” performed by Mercedes Sosa. Rosario installation creative idea and content production: newcycle. Special Argentina collection unveiled: September 25, 2026. Farewell match: Argentina vs Benin, October 6, 2026, Monumental stadium, Buenos Aires.