Messi to Bid Farewell to Argentina in October Friendly

Lionel Messi will pull on the Argentina shirt for the final time on October 6, when the Albiceleste host Benin at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. The Argentine Football Association confirmed the farewell match as part of a three-game international window, bringing down the curtain on a national team career that spanned nearly two decades and delivered a third World Cup star.

AFA president Claudio Tapia announced the squad on social media, declaring, "We invited the best player in the world to play, the icon of our team, our captain Lionel Messi, to have a deserved farewell on October 6, here in Argentina." Messi will be joined by Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso for the occasion, while domestic-league call-ups will be revealed on Friday.

Before the Monumental send-off, Lionel Scaloni's side will face Bolivia on September 30 at the Mario Kempes Stadium in Córdoba, though that match will be played with a 50% capacity reduction in the stands as part of FIFA sanctions stemming from a post-game altercation at the 2026 World Cup. Argentina then meet Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on October 3.

Messi is also expected to feature for Inter Miami on Wednesday in the Campeones Cup final against Cruz Azul at Nu Stadium, underscoring his enduring influence at club level even as his international chapter closes. The October friendly will offer Argentine fans a final chance to celebrate the captain who defined a golden generation.