Lionel Messi will return for a farewell Argentina appearance against Benin on Oct. 6 in Buenos Aires after announcing his international retirement.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina career appeared to have reached its final chapter after the 2026 World Cup. Now, the country’s greatest football icon is set to return for one last night in the famous blue and white. Messi has been invited to play for Argentina in a farewell friendly against Benin on Oct. 6 at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. The Argentine Football Association confirmed the invitation after Messi announced his international retirement in August. FIFA has also confirmed that the match is intended to be his final appearance for Argentina.
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Why Is Lionel Messi Returning to the Argentina Squad?
Messi’s return is not the beginning of another international campaign. It is a farewell. The 39-year-old decided to retire from international football after Argentina’s run at the 2026 World Cup, bringing an end to a national team career that began with his senior debut in 2005. He leaves as Argentina’s record appearance maker and leading scorer, with 207 caps and 125 goals.
The decision came after more than two decades of international football, which included the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 World Cup, and the 2024 Copa America. Messi also played a major role in Argentina’s run to the 2026 World Cup final, although they ultimately lost to Spain.
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What Will Lionel Messi’s Final Argentina Match Mean?
The farewell against Benin will give Messi the opportunity to say goodbye to supporters in Buenos Aires while wearing the Argentina shirt one final time. Argentina will play Bolivia on Sept. 30 and Burkina Faso on Oct. 3 before facing Benin at the Monumental on Oct. 6. Messi will not take part in the first two matches, making the Benin friendly the planned conclusion to his international career.
The AFA has also invited members of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad to take part in the farewell celebrations. That could turn the occasion into a reunion of the team that finally delivered Argentina’s long-awaited World Cup triumph in Qatar. For Messi, it will be a very different ending from the one he experienced after the 2026 World Cup final. Instead of walking away immediately after a painful defeat, he will have the chance to leave the national team in front of his own supporters, with the country celebrating the career he built in the famous No. 10 shirt.
How Will Argentina Move Forward Without Lionel Messi?
The farewell will also mark the beginning of a new era for Argentina. Messi leaves behind an extraordinary statistical record, including 125 international goals and 207 appearances. He is also Argentina’s most-capped player and its all-time leading scorer. Lionel Scaloni will now have to develop an Argentina side without the player who has been its central figure for more than a decade. The team has already begun preparing for life after Messi, but replacing his goals, creativity, and leadership will be one of the defining challenges of the next generation.
Before that new chapter begins, however, Argentina will get one final opportunity to watch Messi represent the national team at home. On Oct. 6, the Monumental will belong to Lionel Messi for one last time.
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