Buenos Aires has turned Lionel Messi’s final Argentina appearance into a city-wide farewell, with supporters gathering around the Monumental hours before the friendly against Benin. Songs for the Rosario forward echoed through the approaches to River Plate’s stadium as a security operation was put in place for an occasion carrying the weight of an era’s closing chapter.
The Monumental, which holds 85,000, is expected to be full for Argentina’s last fixture of the international window. Shirts bearing Messi’s familiar No. 10 have dominated the crowds, a visible tribute to the player whose years with the national side have contained both long disappointment and the defining triumphs of recent Argentine football.
Authorities imposed traffic restrictions around the stadium as fans arrived. Figueroa Alcorta Avenue was partially closed, while access was also restricted on Udaondo, Campos Salles and Ricchieri. Entrances from Cantilo towards Puente Labruna, along with the bridge itself, were also shut as the area filled ahead of kick-off.
A final night with the Albiceleste
The match against Benin is set to be Messi’s 208th for Argentina, following 207 previous appearances. The 39-year-old begins the evening with 125 international goals and 68 assists, figures that could still change during the farewell match.
His record with the Albiceleste also includes several finals and four trophies, achievements that transformed the atmosphere around the national team after years in which major international success had remained elusive.
Messi’s return to Argentina has drawn attention at every stop. His arrival, the public anticipation and the final preparations have all carried the sense of a historic send-off. At the Ezeiza training complex, officially named Predio Lionel Andrés Messi, he completed his last training session under Lionel Scaloni alongside the teammates who will share the final occasion at the Monumental.
For Argentina, the Benin fixture closes this FIFA window. For Buenos Aires, it is a night to gather around a player whose international journey has become inseparable from the modern story of the country’s football.
