Lionel Messi, who announced his retirement from international football in late August, will make one final appearance for Argentina in a specially arranged farewell match against Benin on 6 October at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) confirmed on Tuesday that Messi had accepted its invitation to play in the friendly, which will be held at the 85,000-capacity home ground of River Plate.
Messi, 39, announced the end of his international career on 29 August, shortly after Argentina lost the 2026 World Cup final to Spain 1-0 after extra time. The retirement also came in the wake of the death of his father, Jorge Messi, in early August. "It is a decision that still hurts deep inside me, but I understand this is the moment," the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner wrote on Instagram. Across his 207 appearances for the Albiceleste — the white-and-sky-blue-striped Argentina national side — Messi scored 125 goals and lifted the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, two Copa América titles (2021 and 2024), and an Olympic gold medal in 2008.
AFA president Claudio Tapia announced the farewell match in a video message, describing it as the send-off "the best player in the world" deserves. "In agreement with coach Lionel Scaloni, we have taken the decision to invite our captain, Lionel Andrés Messi, so that he can have the farewell he truly deserves, here in Argentina," Tapia said. He added that all of Argentina's 2022 World Cup winners have been invited to attend alongside their families, calling the evening Messi's "last tango." Midfielders Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso will also take their international farewell at the same occasion.
Argentina is scheduled to play three matches over the coming weeks — against Bolivia on 30 September in Córdoba, then Burkina Faso and Benin on 3 and 6 October respectively in the capital — but it is the final fixture that will serve as the centrepiece for Messi's formal tribute. Benin is a small West African nation on the Gulf of Guinea, and its selection as Argentina's farewell opponent reflects the friendly nature of the occasion rather than any competitive significance.
The match closes a chapter in football history. Messi's international career, spanning more than two decades, redefined what one player could achieve at international level. The 6 October occasion is intended not only as a personal tribute but as a collective celebration for a nation whose identity has become deeply intertwined with its most famous son.