Lionel Messi is set to make what Argentina’s football authorities describe as his final appearance for the national team when Argentina hosts Benin in a friendly match on October 6 at Buenos Aires’ Monumental Stadium.
The Argentine Football Association has included the 39-year-old forward in its squad and invited him to participate in the match as a farewell appearance following his retirement from international football.
If he plays, Messi is expected to make his 208th appearance for Argentina.
AFA president Claudio Tapia said the federation wanted Messi, described by the association as the team’s captain and an iconic figure, to receive a farewell in Argentina.
The match against Benin will be played at the Monumental Stadium, which has a capacity of approximately 85,000 spectators.
The venue is expected to provide the setting for the conclusion of Messi’s international career, provided he takes part in the fixture.
Messi’s international career has stretched across more than two decades and has produced several major milestones.
He is Argentina’s all-time leading goalscorer, with 125 international goals, and has established himself as the country’s most-capped player.
The planned farewell comes after Argentina’s campaign at the 2026 World Cup and Messi’s announcement that he was retiring from international football.
Argentina is scheduled to play three home friendlies during the September 21 to October 6 FIFA international window.
The team will meet Bolivia in Córdoba on September 30 before facing Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on October 3.
The final fixture against Benin will then take place on October 6.
The Bolivia match will be played at the Mario Kempes Stadium in Córdoba, while the Burkina Faso encounter will take place before the squad returns to Buenos Aires for the Benin fixture.
Messi’s invitation comes at a significant point in his career. After years of representing Argentina at major international tournaments, he helped lead the national team to major success during the latter stages of his international career.
His Argentina career has included the 2021 Copa América triumph and the 2022 FIFA World Cup victory, achievements that ended long periods of disappointment for the national team.
However, Messi’s participation in the October match is still the immediate focus.
Reports indicate that he has been invited and included in the squad, while Argentine football authorities have publicly presented the Benin fixture as his farewell.
The match will therefore carry significance beyond its friendly status.
It is expected to bring together Argentine supporters and a player who has represented the national team since his international debut in 2005.
If Messi takes the field against Benin as planned, the Monumental will become the stage for the final chapter of his Argentina career, bringing his international appearances to 208.
