Messi set for farewell match with Argentina against Benin

Lionel Messi has made the Argentina squad for his farewell match. This match will mark the end of his international career.

The Argentina captain will play against Benin on October 6 at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. Claudio Tapia, the president of the Argentina Football Association, confirmed this on Tuesday.

Tapia said this match will allow Messi to get a proper goodbye from his home fans.

"We invited the best player in the world to play, our captain Lionel Andres Messi, to have a deserved farewell on October 6, here in Argentina," Tapia said in a video on Instagram.

This match will happen after Argentina plays Bolivia and Burkina Faso.

Messi, who is now 39, had already said he would end his international career.

On August 31, Messi announced his retirement from the Argentina national team. This ended a career that lasted over two decades.

He made this choice after Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. This defeat ended their chance to keep the title they won in Qatar in 2022.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain player leaves international football as Argentina’s captain. He is also one of the most decorated players in the country's history.

Messi led Argentina to win the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 World Cup, and the 2024 Copa America. He had previously lost in the 2014 World Cup final and Copa America finals in 2015 and 2016.

Argentina has plans for Messi’s farewell that include three friendlies during the September-October international window.

They will meet Bolivia on September 30 in Córdoba and Burkina Faso on October 3 at the Monumental. Then, they will face Benin at the same stadium three days after.

The match on October 6 is expected to be Messi’s last chance to wear the Argentina shirt in front of his home fans and to officially end his international career.