The final image of Lionel Messi in Argentina colours may also prove to be the last for the Monumental. The 3-0 win over Benin on 6 October 2026, marked as Messi’s 208th and final international appearance, was meant to be a farewell night. Instead, technical failures surrounding the tribute appear to have pushed the Argentine Football Association towards a break with River Plate.
The move
The Argentine national team is expected to stop using River Plate’s Monumental stadium for its home fixtures after the dispute surrounding Messi’s farewell.
Argentina’s federation and River, led by president Stefano Di Carlo, are reported to have reached a point of no return following the troubled event. Claudio Tapia’s federation is considering the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in La Plata as a potential alternative venue.
The Monumental will retain a symbolic piece of the occasion: Messi’s final Argentina shirt, signed by the forward after his last match for the Albiceleste.
How Messi’s farewell unravelled
The problems arrived around the post-match ceremony rather than during the victory over Benin. Marketing Sports, the company appointed to stage the event, blamed River Plate for a series of failures.
It said the stadium’s giant screen had been removed, preventing planned tribute videos from being shown. It also pointed to a power cut during a closing concert by Grupo Cali.
River rejected the claims and argued that the screen’s dismantling was connected to expansion work at the stadium. The club said that work had started on 8 July, during the World Cup and before Messi’s international retirement and the tribute match had been arranged.
River also accused the event producers of poor planning. Club officials said they had recommended hiring a generator to safeguard the electricity supply, but that proposal was not taken up.
“River regularly hosts matches, concerts and international events,” the club said, stressing that it accepts full responsibility when it is itself running an occasion. For Messi’s farewell, however, it said responsibility rested with the AFA and its contracted production company.
The club added that the event had created “a regrettable image” on the world stage. The consequence could be lasting: Argentina may now be searching for a new home after decades of major nights at River’s stadium.
