Messi takes his final bow for Argentina against Benin at the Monumental
Lionel Messi will wear the Argentina shirt one last time on 6 October, in a friendly against Benin in Buenos Aires billed as his farewell.
The match kicks off at 20:00 at the Monumental stadium, home of River Plate. The Argentine Football Association has described it as the closing match of this international window, and a night built around saying goodbye to its greatest player. AFA
Messi has already arrived in Argentina ahead of the game, AP reported on 3 October. He had decided to retire from international football after the 2026 World Cup final, in which Argentina faced Spain. He was then invited back for one celebratory runout against Benin. The Guardian
The invitation came from AFA president Claudio Tapia, who said Messi deserved a proper farewell on home soil. The association later confirmed Messi had been called up for a farewell appearance in the October friendly, alongside Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso. The Guardian
The numbers tell their own story. Messi leaves as Argentina’s most-capped player with 208 appearances. He is also the country’s top scorer with 125 goals. The Guardian
It was a long road. Argentina lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany, then lost Copa América finals in 2007, 2015 and 2016. After the Copa América Centenario final defeat to Chile in 2016, Messi said he was quitting the national team. He came back. Six years later he led Argentina to the World Cup title in 2022.
This week closes the circle. Argentina scheduled three home friendlies for the international window from 21 September to 6 October, their first matches since the World Cup. They faced Bolivia in Córdoba on 30 September and Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on 3 October, before Benin.
Even now, at 39, Messi remains in the game’s top conversation. He was again nominated for the Ballon d’Or, the annual award for the best men’s player in the world, ahead of his final Argentina match. AFA
What makes this stand out is the simplicity of it. No knockout tie. No points at stake. Just 90 minutes for supporters to thank a player who gave them a World Cup and so many shared memories, and for Messi to take the field in Argentina colours one more time.
