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Lionel Messi will make his final appearance for Argentina when they face Benin in an international friendly on October 6, head coach Lionel Scaloni has confirmed, the 39-year-old is set to wear Argentina’s famous blue-and-white shirt for the last time at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, bringing an end to one of the greatest international careers in football history.
Messi announced his decision to retire from international football in August, with the October 6 fixture now set to provide an opportunity for Argentine supporters to celebrate their captain.
Scaloni said he personally pushed for the farewell match to be held during the current international window because he wanted to be present when Messi takes his final bow.
“I believe that a player like him deserves that,” Scaloni told reporters.
“And I personally contributed my bit because I want to be at his farewell. And since today I don’t know if I would be available later on, we made an effort so that he could be in this match.”
The Argentina coach said Messi had made a significant effort to return and say goodbye to the supporters who have followed his career.
“We knew everything he was going through, and yet he put in the desire and effort to come and say goodbye with his people, with the people who love him so much,” Scaloni said.
“And I think if there’s a tribute to be made, it should be done now, because later on, the magic might not be the same. And I believe now is the time for him to feel that love from everyone.”
Messi heads into his final Argentina appearance as the country’s all-time leading scorer, with 125 international goals to his name.
For Scaloni, who has worked closely with Messi during Argentina’s recent period of success, coaching the legendary forward has been a career-defining experience.
“For me, getting to coach him was the ultimate experience. It was a dream,” Scaloni said.
“I told him so, and I’ll say it for the rest of my life. There will never be anyone like him.”
Scaloni also praised Messi’s influence beyond his performances on the pitch.
“It’s very rare for a player like that to come along not just because of what he does on the pitch, but because of everything he conveys off it. Let’s enjoy this.”
Before Messi’s farewell, Argentina have two other fixtures lined up during the international window.
Scaloni’s side will travel to Córdoba to face Bolivia on September 30 before hosting Burkina Faso on October 3.
The fixtures are expected to form part of Argentina’s transition into a new era following the international retirements of Messi and veteran defender Nicolás Otamendi.
For Argentine fans, however, the October 6 meeting with Benin will be the main attraction as Messi prepares to bring down the curtain on his extraordinary international career.
