Buenos Aires is preparing to close an Argentina chapter on 6 October, when Lionel Messi is due to make his final appearance for the national team in a friendly against Benin at the Monumental de Núñez.
The 2026 World Cup runners-up have scheduled three home matches in the first FIFA window after the tournament, but Messi is set to feature only in the final fixture. On Monday, the forward unveiled the special shirt he will wear for his international farewell.
From Córdoba to the Monumental
- Argentina begin their October programme against Bolivia in Córdoba on 30 September.
- Three days later, Burkina Faso visit the Monumental in Buenos Aires on 3 October.
- Messi’s farewell match follows on 6 October, with Benin providing the opposition at the same stadium.
A shirt for the final night
Messi presented the new Argentina jersey in a video released on social media. In the clip, he takes down the shirt worn during the most recent World Cup from a wall and replaces it with the special design intended for the Benin match.
The occasion will bring a final national-team night to the Monumental, the vast Buenos Aires ground that has staged many of Argentina’s defining evenings. Messi’s appearance against Benin is expected to be his only involvement across the three-match international window.
