Lionel Messi Set for Argentina Farewell Against Benin at Monumental

Buenos Aires is preparing for a farewell at the Monumental, where Lionel Messi is set to play his final match for Argentina. Benin will provide the opposition on 6 October 2026, with a full stadium expected as the Albiceleste honours a captain whose international career has shaped two decades of the country’s football life.

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Argentina’s meeting with Benin is scheduled for 17:00 Mexico time at the Estadio Monumental. The match will be available on ViX Premium and is expected to be Messi’s only appearance across Argentina’s three fixtures during the October international window.

The occasion will bring Messi’s Argentina record to the centre of the celebrations. Across 207 appearances, he has scored 125 goals and supplied 68 assists, leaving him as the national team’s leading scorer and leading creator.

His major honours with Argentina include the World Cup, two Copa América titles, the Finalissima, Olympic gold won in Beijing and the Under-20 World Cup. He has also scored more goals than any other player in South American World Cup qualifying, with 36.

At World Cup level, Messi leads Argentina’s charts for both goals and assists, recording 21 and 10 respectively. He remains the only footballer to have received the World Cup Golden Ball twice.

Argentina arrive after emphatic wins over Burkina Faso, beaten 7-0, and Bolivia, defeated 4-0. But the attention in the capital will settle on the Monumental, a ground associated with River Plate, the club Messi has long held close in Argentina.

From the Obelisk through the streets and homes of Buenos Aires, preparations are under way for a tribute befitting the nation’s No. 10. For the three-time world champions, Benin’s visit is intended not simply as another international fixture, but as the final Argentina night for one of the game’s defining figures.

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