The countdown to Lionel Messi’s farewell with Argentina is officially underway.
According to Beinsports, the captain will make his final appearance for La Albiceleste against Benin on October 6 at the Estadio Monumental, bringing more than two decades of international football to an emotional end.
One last match
For such a historic occasion, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) has prepared something special.
A commemorative jersey celebrating Messi’s farewell will go on sale, giving fans a lasting reminder of the final night of one of the greatest international careers in soccer history.
Messi himself revealed the jersey on Instagram, accompanying the post with a message that captured the significance of the occasion, “Last game, a jersey for a lifetime.”
The match will bring an extraordinary international career to a close. Lionel Messi announced on August 29 that he would retire from international soccer, confirming that the friendly against Benin would be his final appearance in Argentina colors.
His record speaks for itself: 207 international appearances and 125 goals, along with a collection of trophies that transformed his story with the national team.
Messi won the World Cup, two Copa América titles and an Olympic gold medal, while becoming Argentina’s captain, all-time leading scorer and one of the defining figures in the history of La Albiceleste.
Argentina will play three friendlies during the international window. They first face Bolivia in Córdoba on September 30, followed by Burkina Faso on October 3, before returning to the Monumental to face Benin on October 6.
That final match will be centered around Messi’s farewell. The Argentine captain has not played for his country since the defeat in the 2026 World Cup final, adding even more significance to his return to Buenos Aires.
The emotions are already being felt throughout the squad. Players including Valentín Barco, Cristian Romero and Lautaro Martínez have spoken publicly about how difficult it will be to imagine Argentina without their longtime captain and the importance of being alongside him for his final appearance.
