Lionel Messi has been invited by the Argentine Football Association to participate in a farewell match following his recent retirement from the national team. This final game will take place on October 6 at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires against Benin. Messi announced his international retirement on August 31 after Argentina lost to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. AFA president Claudio Tapia said the federation wanted Messi to have the farewell he deserves in Argentina.
The match is part of a series of three friendlies during the upcoming FIFA international window, according to Devdiscourse. Argentina will also face Bolivia and Burkina Faso in the coming weeks.
Before Messi’s final appearance, the team is scheduled to play Bolivia on September 30 at the Mario Kempes Stadium in Cordoba as part of a series of three friendly matches, according to a report from CBS Sports. The game against Bolivia will be held with limited stadium capacity due to FIFA sanctions. FIFA said the match will be limited to 50% capacity as part of disciplinary action stemming from incidents at the 2026 World Cup.
Following that match, Argentina will travel to Buenos Aires to play Burkina Faso on October 3. Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso are confirmed to be part of the squad for the farewell match. Leandro Paredes, Nahuel Molina and Thiago Almada were not included in the squad and are also under FIFA suspensions stemming from incidents after the World Cup final. Paredes received a 10-match suspension, Molina seven matches and Almada one match.
Messi’s final appearance with the national team will be a celebration of his legacy in Argentine football. AFA also plans to invite the members of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad and their families to take part in the tribute.
Before the farewell, Messi and Inter Miami are scheduled to face Cruz Azul in the Campeones Cup final on Wednesday. MLS lists the match for September 16 at Nu Stadium in Miami.
The farewell will mark the end of Messi’s international career after more than 20 years with Argentina. He is Argentina’s record scorer and most-capped player with 125 goals in 207 appearances.
IMAGE: Lionel Messi, Futbol Club Barca’s player, during the match FC Barcelona-Deportivo de La Coruña.. Photo: Darz Mol / Wikimedia, taken 2007-03-31, CC BY-SA 2.5 es