Lionel Messi Named for Argentina Farewell Against Benin

Lionel Messi's Argentina story is heading toward its final chapter.

The 39-year-old has been included in Lionel Scaloni's squad for the friendly against Benin on October 6 at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. The match will mark Messi's farewell appearance for the national team after he announced his international retirement in August. 

The Argentine Football Association confirmed the call-up on Tuesday, with Messi included specifically for the final game of the upcoming home friendly series. Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso are also set to join the squad for that match. 

For Argentina supporters, the setting could hardly be more fitting. The Monumental has hosted countless major nights involving the national team, and it will now stage the final international appearance of the country's most decorated modern footballer.

Messi's final Argentina appearance

Messi announced his retirement from international football on August 31, following Argentina's defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. FIFA reported that he finished that tournament with eight goals and four assists as Argentina reached the final before losing 1-0 after extra time. 

His numbers with Argentina tell their own story. Messi has made 207 appearances and scored 125 goals, both national records. His international career also includes the 2022 World Cup triumph in Qatar and Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024. 

The Messi final Argentina game will come after two other friendlies during the same international window. Argentina face Bolivia in Córdoba on September 30 before meeting Burkina Faso at the Monumental on October 3. Messi is not expected to take part in those two matches. 

2022 World Cup teammates invited

The farewell is also being planned as a reunion of Argentina's 2022 World Cup-winning group. AFA president Claudio Tapia said the players from that championship-winning squad and their families will be invited to attend the occasion.

That gives the night an added layer. Messi lifted the World Cup in Qatar after years of near misses with Argentina, ending one of the longest-running stories in international football.

Now, more than two decades after making his senior debut in 2005, he is preparing to walk onto the pitch in the famous blue and white stripes for the last time.

The Lionel Messi Argentina farewell match against Benin is therefore more than another friendly on the calendar. It will be the final opportunity for Argentina fans to see their captain represent the national team on home soil.

The farewell is set for October 6 at the Monumental. And this time, the occasion is about saying goodbye.