Lionel Messi will pull on the Argentina shirt one more time. The AFA has named him in the squad for a friendly against Benin on 6 October, a match arranged for one reason: to give the 39-year-old the send-off he did not get in July.
Messi announced his international retirement in August, weeks after Argentina lost the 2026 World Cup final to Spain and not long after the death of his father, Jorge. He said at the time that the decision hurt him "deeply", that he had "given it my all" and had "nothing left to give".
A stadium built for the occasion
River Plate's Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires will host it. Capacity 85,000. The AFA has also invited the 2022 World Cup winning squad, which turns the evening into something closer to a reunion than a friendly.
"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 6 October here in Argentina," said AFA president Claudio Tapia. He described the night as one that would be "unforgettable".
The numbers behind the shirt
Messi leaves international football as Argentina's record scorer and record appearance maker: 125 goals in 207 caps. He captained the side that won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, has eight Ballons d'Or, and still plays club football for Inter Miami.
Whether the 6 October match counts as a 208th cap is, for most Argentinians, beside the point. The country did not get to say goodbye properly. This is the fix.
The complication nobody planned for
There was a sanction to work around. Argentina were ordered to play their next two home matches at 50% capacity after breaches of Fifa's disciplinary code during the World Cup — one part of the punishment was later suspended. The charges covered using a sporting event for non-sporting demonstrations, team misconduct, and discriminatory chanting from supporters. After the 2-1 semi-final win over England, several Argentina players held up a banner claiming sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
Friendlies against Bolivia on 30 September in Cordoba and Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on 3 October should see the sanction served before Benin arrive. Two players will not be involved in any of it: Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina were given 10-game and seven-game bans respectively for their part in the on-field clashes that followed the final defeat by Spain.
Fixture details: Argentina v Benin, friendly, Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, 6 October 2026. Lionel Messi, 39, of Inter Miami, retires as Argentina's all-time leading scorer (125 goals) and most-capped player (207 appearances). Argentina also face Bolivia (30 September, Cordoba) and Burkina Faso (3 October, Buenos Aires).
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