Lionel Messi has been included in Argentina’s squad for a friendly against Benin on October 6, with the fixture expected to mark his final appearance for the national team.
The 39-year-old forward announced his retirement from international football last month following a two-decade career with Argentina. The Argentine Football Association subsequently invited him to return for a farewell match at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
AFA president Claudio Tapia confirmed that Messi had been invited for what the football body described as a deserved farewell to the national team captain.
The match against Benin will be staged at River Plate’s Monumental Stadium, which has a capacity of about 85,000 spectators. Argentina has also invited members of the squad that won the 2022 World Cup to participate in the celebration.
Messi will not feature in Argentina’s other scheduled friendlies during the international window. The world champions are due to face Bolivia in Córdoba on September 30 before playing Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on October 3.
The Benin encounter will therefore provide the occasion for Messi’s final appearance in Argentina’s famous blue-and-white shirt.
Messi is Argentina’s most-capped player and leading goalscorer, having scored 125 goals in 207 international appearances since making his senior debut in 2005. He has also won the 2021 and 2024 Copa América titles and led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup crown.
The forward’s international career also includes three World Cup final appearances. Argentina won the 2022 final against France but lost the 2026 final to Spain.
Messi announced his retirement from international football after the 2026 World Cup, saying he had reached the point where it was time to end his Argentina career.
His farewell against Benin is expected to take his international appearances to 208, bringing an end to one of the longest and most decorated careers in Argentina’s national-team history.
The fixture will also serve as a major celebration for Argentine supporters, with former teammates from the 2022 World Cup-winning squad expected to join Messi for the occasion.
