Buenos Aires is preparing for an evening shaped around Lionel Messi, with Argentina’s captain set to make his final appearance for the national team against Benin at the Monumental de Núñez. Before the farewell match, the 2022 World Cup winner recorded an emotional message to supporters, saying he leaves the international stage at peace after giving everything to the shirt.
Key takeaways
- Messi is due to play his 207th and final match for Argentina in Tuesday’s friendly against Benin.
- The Monumental de Núñez is expected to be full for the departure of the country’s No. 10.
- Argentina will wear a specially prepared new kit for the occasion, drawing on national symbols and Messi’s two decades with the side.
- The Inter Miami forward leaves as Argentina’s all-time leading scorer, with 125 goals.
- Kick-off is scheduled for 20:00 Brasília time.
A final message before the Monumental
In a video released through one of his commercial partners, Messi thanked Argentina supporters for the affection they have shown throughout his long international career.
“The time has come. I am leaving in peace. I gave everything,” Messi said. “This shirt was my dream, my pride and my life. Thank you for loving me so much. I will miss it.”
The fixture with Benin will bring the curtain down on a national-team journey that stretched across 207 appearances and included 125 goals, a record for Argentina. Its defining peak came in Qatar in 2022, when Messi led the country to the World Cup.
A shirt designed for the goodbye
For the farewell, Argentina will take the field in a new jersey created specifically for the occasion. The design incorporates references to the Argentine flag as well as elements intended to reflect Messi’s 20 years in the senior side.
The Monumental, the familiar stage for so many major Argentina nights, will host the occasion with the stands expected to be packed. Messi completed his final training session with the squad before the match, keeping the ball at his feet one last time in the national-team camp.
Tuesday’s friendly offers Argentina a ceremonial closing chapter for its most prolific scorer and one of the central figures in the country’s modern football history.
