Lionel Messi will make one final appearance for Argentina on October 6, weeks after announcing his retirement from international football. The 39-year-old has been named in Lionel Scaloni’s preliminary 26-member squad for a friendly against Benin in Buenos Aires.
Messi announced on August 31 that he would bring his Argentina career to an end. His decision came after years of speculation over when he would step away from international football, with the 2028 Copa America previously viewed as a possible final tournament.
Messi to get 'Monumental' farewell
Argentina’s Football Association (AFA) has now confirmed that Messi will feature in just one of the national team’s upcoming home friendlies — the October 6 meeting with Benin at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental.
The fixture is set to serve as Messi’s farewell in front of the Argentina supporters. Giovani Lo Celso and Rodrigo de Paul, members of the 2022 World Cup-winning squad, have also been confirmed for the match.
Argentina’s home friendly schedule begins on September 30, when they face Bolivia in Cordoba. They will then take on Burkina Faso at the Monumental on October 3, three days before Messi’s farewell appearance at the same venue.
World Cup winners invited
The AFA has also said that the entire Argentina squad from the 2022 World Cup will be invited to attend the Benin game. Messi lifted the World Cup in Qatar after Argentina defeated France in the final.
“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,” the AFA confirmed.
The association also invited the 2022 world champions and their families to be part of the occasion.
“Furthermore, having received Lionel’s acceptance, we are inviting all the world champions who played alongside him at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to join him, together with their families, for what will be an unforgettable match for all Argentinians who support the national team, as they watch the world’s best player’s last dance.”
Messi’s Argentina numbers
The Benin friendly will be Messi’s 208th appearance for Argentina. He currently has 125 goals for the national team.
The Monumental farewell will mark the final chapter of an international career that has included the 2021 Copa America title and the 2022 World Cup triumph.