Buenos Aires: Football great Lionel Messi is set to din the Argentine jersey one last time for a farewell match to be played against Benin in Buenos Aires on October 6.
The 39-year-old Argentine captain announced his retirement from the international circuit in August, bringing the curtain down on a two-decade spell with the national team.
His international achievements include winning the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.
Argentine FA president Claudio Tapia confirmed that the occasion had been planned specifically to honor the team’s captain.
“We made the decision to invite the best player in the world, the symbol of our national team, our captain, Lionel Andres Messi, so that he can have the farewell he truly deserves on October 6 here in Argentina,” Tapia said, as reported by News18.
The farewell will be staged at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental, where as many as 85,000 fans can attend. Tapia has also called on Argentina’s entire 2022 World Cup-winning squad to take part in what he described as an “unforgettable” occasion.
Argentina will play two other friendlies before Messi’s expected final appearance. The first comes against Bolivia in Cordoba on September 30, followed by Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on October 3. The Bolivia fixture will be Argentina’s first game since their World Cup final defeat by Spain.
Messi’s inclusion for the Benin match means he is poised to earn his 208th and final cap. He currently holds Argentina’s records for both appearances and goals, having scored 125 times for his country.
Messi’s decision to retire from international football came after an emotionally difficult period. Following the death of his father Jorge last month, Messi said he had “serious doubts” about continuing to play football of any sort for “much longer”.
“It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep in my soul but I understand that it is the right time,” Messi said when he called time on his Argentina career.
At club level, Messi remains under contract with Major League Soccer side Inter Miami through the end of the 2028 season.
The upcoming fixtures also come with disciplinary restrictions. FIFA last month ordered Argentina to reduce capacity for their next home game to 50 percent after breaches of its disciplinary code concerning the use of a sporting event for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature.
The ruling followed Argentina’s 2-1 World Cup semi-final victory over England in July, when several players displayed a banner reading: “The Falklands are Argentine”.
The friendlies are additionally expected to factor in suspensions imposed after incidents that followed Argentina’s World Cup final loss to Spain. Leandro Paredes was handed a 10-match suspension, while Nahuel Molina received a seven-game ban and Thiago Almada a one-match suspension.
