A hug for La Sole and the sound cut mid-song: the surprise cumbia show Messi loves that never happened at his farewell

Lionel Messi's farewell from Argentina's national team on Tuesday (Oct. 6) at the Monumental in Núñez delivered a 3-0 win over Benin, a goal and an assist from the captain, and a soundtrack built to make people cry. Soledad Pastorutti, known as La Sole, sang 'Brindis', hugged Messi on the pitch and finished the last lines with the whole stadium. Ulises Bueno also performed, and Falklands War veteran Fabio Santana sang the national anthem before kickoff, bringing coach Lionel Scaloni and Messi himself to tears.

The night's big surprise, however, ended in frustration. Sergio Torres, the former Grupo Cali singer whom Messi named as his favorite back in 2007, was set to reunite with the band's founder, accordionist Darío Zanco, for the closing act. The two had even done a sound check on the pitch hours earlier. But the music cut out during 'Amor de Chat', before the first song was over, as Messi hugged one of his sons and left the field with his family. The show never resumed.

The next day, Grupo Cali's account posted a statement: 'We want to clarify that the show was suspended due to force majeure', tied to 'issues related to the organization' and outside the band's control. 'A thousand apologies to everyone who was waiting for this moment,' the group wrote, without naming anyone responsible. Earlier, Torres had told radio station Aire de Santa Fe that he co-wrote the song 'La octava maravilla' with Messi and called the star 'an extraordinary person'.