Messi, Right-Footed for a Night: The Unusual Drone Glitch During His Farewell

Lionel Messi’s farewell from the Argentine national team featured tears, a goal, two assists, and a Monumental Stadium paying tribute to its captain. It also included a curious mistake that quickly went viral: the drones participating in the tribute depicted the No. 10 striking the ball with his right foot.

The spectacle took place after the 3-0 victory over Benin , in Messi’s final match with the Albiceleste in front of an Argentine home crowd. As the captain and his teammates remained on the field, hundreds of lights began to form various images from his career in the sky.

Among them was the silhouette of Messi standing in front of a soccer ball. Everything seemed to fit until fans noticed a detail that was hard to miss: the drone-rendered Messi was right-footed . The Argentine, one of the most recognizable left-footed players in soccer history, was shown shooting with his non-dominant foot. The mistake quickly spread across social media, where comments such as “Chiqui Tapia did it” and “WHAT A BLUNDER” began to appear.

Messi, with the Wrong Foot

Messi has scored goals with both feet, but his career is closely tied to his left foot. With it, he has built a large part of his repertoire: ball control, dribbling, feints, assists, and the vast majority of his goals.

That’s why the image drew so much attention on a night designed precisely to look back on his career. The tribute sought to revisit some of the most iconic moments of his career and ended up featuring an unexpected scene as well.

That wasn't the only detail that sparked comments during the show. Before the tribute to Messi began, drones displayed the logo and name of an insurance company that was sponsoring the game . The commercial appearance drew boos from the stands and criticism from fans, who had expected the show to begin immediately with images of the captain.

Then came the tribute dedicated to number 10. The drones formed the AFA crest with its three stars, a jersey bearing the surname “Messi” and the number 10, and various images related to his titles and his career with Argentina.

The World Cup trophy won in Qatar also appeared, and toward the end, the message “Thank you, Leo!” accompanied by the three stars. The final image was Messi’s face in profile against the backdrop of the Monumental. The AFA confirmed that the drone show was part of the display prepared for the farewell, along with the lights, fireworks, and musical performances.

This isn't the first time Messi has accidentally used his right foot

The drone blooper had a recent precedent. In early September, LEGO also depicted Messi kicking with his right foot in an animation released as a tribute to the Argentine after he announced his retirement from the national team.

In the video, a minifigure wearing the number 10 walks through a stadium tunnel, steps onto the field, and finds a ball. The final scene shows little Messi shooting with his right foot. The brand accompanied the post with the message: “The boy who entered the tunnel became the legend who changed the game. Thanks for everything, Leo!”

This detail didn’t go unnoticed back then either. Fans immediately noticed that the figure was using the wrong leg and turned the tribute into yet another little anecdote about Messi’s left foot. LEGO also offers official products inspired by the soccer player.

This time, it was the drones that repeated the mistak e. On a night that will be remembered for Messi’s emotion, his final goal with Argentina, and a farewell in front of more than 85,000 people , the right-footed version of No. 10 ended up earning its own place among the night’s memorable images.