Lionel Messi to play Argentina farewell match against Benin on October 6

09:54

Lionel Messi will make his final appearance for Argentina on October 6, when the world champions face Benin at Buenos Aires’ Monumental Stadium, bringing the curtain down on one of the most remarkable international careers in football history.

The farewell match was confirmed Tuesday by Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA). The event has been coordinated with head coach Lionel Scaloni and accepted by Messi, according to Tapia.

“We have decided to invite the best player in the world so he can receive the farewell he deserves,” Tapia said in a video posted on X, describing Messi as Argentina’s emblem and captain.

The occasion will also bring together members of the squad that won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Players from that championship-winning team who are not part of Scaloni’s current squad will be invited to attend the ceremony alongside their families.

The end of a 21-year international journey

Messi, 39, announced his retirement from international football on August 31, ending more than two decades with Argentina’s senior team.

His international debut came on August 17, 2005, against Hungary. Since then, he has established himself as Argentina’s most capped player and leading scorer, with 207 appearances and 125 goals for the national team.

The October fixture will mark the conclusion of a career that has included appearances at six World Cups, from Germany 2006 through the 2026 tournament.

Messi’s international achievements include Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024, the Finalissima in 2022 and, most significantly, the World Cup triumph in Qatar later that year. His success with Argentina also extends to youth and Olympic football, having won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2005 and Olympic gold at the Beijing Games in 2008.

Argentina’s final fixtures before Messi’s farewell

Argentina will have two matches before Messi joins the squad for his final appearance.

Scaloni’s side is scheduled to meet Bolivia in Córdoba on September 30 before facing Burkina Faso at the Monumental on October 3. Messi will then join his teammates for the October 6 encounter with Benin.

For Argentina, the match will be more than another fixture on the international calendar. It will provide an opportunity to formally mark the departure of the player who has been at the center of the national team for more than two decades and whose career with the Albiceleste has spanned a generation of Argentine football.