Lionel Messi Prepares for Emotional Argentina Farewell in October 6 Friendly Against Benin

Lionel Messi has been officially named in Argentina's squad for an upcoming friendly match against Benin on October 6, marking his final international appearance after announcing his retirement from the national team last month.

The match will be hosted at River Plate's Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, a venue capable of holding 85,000 spectators. The 39-year-old superstar announced his international retirement in August, concluding a remarkable two-decade career that featured a historic 2022 World Cup victory alongside Copa America triumphs in 2021 and 2024.

Claudio Tapia, president of the country's FA, stated: "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 also extended invitations to all members of Argentina's 2022 World Cup winning squad to participate in the event.

Before the fixture against Benin, Argentina is scheduled to play a series of friendlies, starting against Bolivia in Cordoba on September 30—their first match following a World Cup final defeat to Spain—followed by a game against Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on October 3. The fixture against Benin will mark Messi's 208th and final cap for the national team. He retires as Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer with 125 goals.

Messi previously admitted to having serious doubts about continuing his professional football career following the death of his father Jorge last month. Despite stepping away from international duty, his club contract with Major League Soccer side Inter Miami remains active until the conclusion of the 2028 season.

Meanwhile, FIFA recently penalized Argentina by ordering their next home match to be played at 50 percent capacity due to disciplinary code violations involving non-sporting demonstrations. Following a 2-1 World Cup semifinal victory over England in July, several players displayed a banner declaring, "The Falklands are Argentine." Additionally, upcoming friendlies are expected to account for suspensions resulting from post-match incidents after the World Cup final loss to Spain, which notably include a 10-match ban for midfielder Leandro Paredes, a seven-game suspension for defender Nahuel Molina, and a one-match ban for Thiago Almada.