Lionel Messi is set to play his final game for Argentina when the country face Benin in an international friendly on October 6 in Buenos Aires.
The 39-year-old announced his retirement from international football on August 31, bringing an end to a remarkable 21-year career with the national team.
However, the Argentina Football Association (AFA) has invited Messi to return for one final appearance in the famous white and blue shirt.
The farewell match will take place at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental, three days after Argentina face Burkina Faso at the same venue. Lionel Scaloni’s side will begin the series of three friendlies against Bolivia in Cordoba on September 30.
Messi will only feature in the final match against Benin, with the AFA confirming that the occasion will also involve members of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad.
The AFA president, Claudio Tapia, said:
“We would like to announce that, following a discussion with national team coach, Lionel Scaloni, we have decided to invite the world’s best player, the icon of our national team, our captain Lionel Messi, so that he can receive the send-off he truly deserves on 6 October here in Argentina,”
Tapia added that all the players who represented Argentina alongside Messi at the 2022 World Cup, together with their families, would be invited for the occasion.
Messi’s Argentina Legacy
Lionel Messi won the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Argentina, sealing his repute as the most successful player in the country’s history.
Messi made his senior Argentina debut against Hungary in August 2005. His first appearance lasted less than two minutes after he was sent off for elbowing Hungarian defender Vilmos Vanczak.
18 year old Lionel Messi being consoled by his teammates after being sent off less than a minutes into his debut for Argentina
More than two decades later, he leaves the national team as Argentina’s record appearance holder and all-time leading goalscorer, with 207 caps and 125 goals.
His international journey ultimately delivered the major honours that had once eluded him. Messi captained Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and also won the Copa América in 2021 and 2024, as well as the 2022 Finalissima. He also won Olympic gold with Argentina in 2008.
Messi’s final World Cup appearance came in the 2026 final against Spain. Argentina lost 1-0 after extra time, bringing his World Cup career to an end after six tournaments.
Now, with the international chapter of his career closing, Messi will have one final opportunity to wear the Argentina shirt in front of his home supporters.
October 6 at the Monumental will therefore mark the end of an era for Argentina and one of the longest and most decorated international careers in football history.
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