Buenos Aires is preparing to close an extraordinary Argentina chapter on 6 October, when Lionel Messi is set to make his final international appearance in a friendly against Benin at the Monumental.
The occasion will bring a formal farewell to a player whose Argentina career has stretched beyond two decades. Messi announced his decision to retire from the national team on 29 August, ending a run that produced 207 caps, 125 goals, the World Cup, two Copa América titles and Olympic gold.
Quick facts
- Messi’s Argentina farewell is scheduled for 6 October at the Monumental in Buenos Aires.
- Benin will provide the opposition in the final friendly of the international break.
- Argentina will also face Bolivia and Burkina Faso during the window.
- The Argentine Football Association will sell a commemorative shirt for the match.
- Qatar 2022 World Cup-winning players and their families are expected to attend.
A special commemorative Argentina jersey will be released for the match, with the federation using the shirt as part of the tribute to one of the national side’s defining figures. Messi presented the design on Instagram with the message: “One final match, a shirt to keep for life.”
The Benin fixture will be Messi’s first involvement with Argentina since the defeat in the World Cup final. It will also conclude a three-match set of friendlies that begins with Bolivia before continuing against Burkina Faso.
Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia has confirmed that every member of the squad that won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, along with their families, will be invited to the Monumental gathering.
For Buenos Aires, the night is likely to be less about the result than the return of a generation that finally carried Argentina back to football’s summit — and the final salute to the captain who led it there.
