Lionel Messi was left in tears ahead of what could be his last official game in Argentina for La Albiceleste on Thursday, September 4. Argentina faced Venezuela in their last home FIFA World Cup qualifier at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires on Thursday, September 4.As Messi walked into the stadium with his three sons for the national anthem, the fans gave him a standing ovation. They then started chanting his name, leaving the Argentine superstar emotional and in tears.Here's a video of the same:Before the match, the 38-year-old accepted that the World Cup qualifier against Venezuela could be his last official game on home soil. He said (via Reuters):"It's going to be very special for me because it will be my last qualifying match. I don't know if there will be friendlies or more matches after that."The former Barcelona superstar scored a brace against Venezuela (39', 80') to guide La Albiceleste towards a 3-0 victory in their last home qualifier. The other goal was netted by Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez, who scored in the 76th minute, courtesy of an assist by Nicolas Gonzalez.Lionel Messi was named 'Player of the match' as he completed the most dribbles in the match (3) and maintained a passing accuracy of 89%. La Albiceleste boss Lionel Scaloni confirmed that Messi would not travel with the team for the last qualifying game against Ecuador due to fatigueArgentina were the first CONMEBOL team to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Meanwhile, Colombia, Brazil, Paraguay, Ecuador and Uruguay have also secured their berths in next year's World Cup, set to take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico.Lionel Messi equals another record during Argentina's 3-0 win over VenezuelaLionel Messi equalled former Colombian defender Ivan Hurtado's record of 72 appearances in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers. The Argentine superstar's longevity and consistency for country and club have been commendable over the last two decades.In 72 qualifiers, the Argentine superstar has scored 36 goals, including his recent brace against Venezuela on Thursday. Meanwhile, the 38-year-old is also the highest goalscorer in Argentina's history and the South American zone with 114 international goals.After the game, the Argentine superstar also gave a speech where he talked about the support in his home country. He said (via The New York Times):"To finish in this way, here with my people, is a dream. For many years, I was loved in Barcelona, and my dream was to have that same feeling here in Argentina. So many things were said (about me) over the years. But what will stay with me is all the good that the team has accomplished."Lionel Messi, who won the Golden Ball while guiding La Albiceleste towards World Cup glory in 2022, is expected to play a key role in the team's title defence next summer.