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Lionel Messi has been named in Argentina’s squad for a friendly against Benin on October 6, which is expected to mark his final appearance for the national team.
The 39-year-old announced his international retirement in August, bringing an end to a two-decade career with Argentina that included winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup and Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.
“We made the decision to invite the best player in the world, the symbol of our national team, our captain, Lionel Andres Messi, so that he can have the farewell he truly deserves on October 6 here in Argentina,” Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia said.
The farewell match will be played at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, with Tapia also inviting members of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad to join Messi for the occasion.
Before the Benin fixture, Argentina will play Bolivia in Cordoba on September 30 and Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on October 3. The matches will be Argentina’s first fixtures since their 2026 World Cup final defeat by Spain.
Messi has been included specifically for the third fixture against Benin, where he is expected to make his 208th and final appearance for Argentina. He is already the country’s all-time leading scorer with 125 goals.
The upcoming fixtures will also be significant for several Argentina players serving suspensions imposed after incidents following the World Cup final defeat. Midfielder Leandro Paredes received a 10-match ban, while defender Nahuel Molina was suspended for seven matches and Thiago Almada for one.
Argentina will also face a reduced-capacity home crowd after FIFA ordered the country to play its next home match at 50 per cent capacity over breaches of its disciplinary code.
The sanction followed an incident during Argentina’s World Cup semi-final victory over England in July, when several players displayed a banner reading: “The Falklands are Argentine”.
