Lionel Messi now has a final date with Argentina after the federation called him back for a farewell appearance in Buenos Aires. Messi announced his international retirement on Aug. 31, about six weeks after Argentina lost the 2026 World Cup final to Spain. The 39-year-old is set to return for an Oct. 6 friendly against Benin at Monumental Stadium.
The match will give Argentina a chance to celebrate its captain after more than two decades with the national team. Messi enters the farewell with 125 international goals in 207 appearances, and the Oct. 6 match is expected to be his 208th and final appearance for Argentina.
Argentina has set the stage for Messi’s farewell
The Argentine Football Association confirmed Messi’s inclusion in the squad on Sept. 15, ending uncertainty over whether his retirement would remain permanent for upcoming friendlies. AFA president Claudio Tapia said the federation invited Messi to have a “deserved farewell” as the national team’s captain and icon. The Oct. 6 match against Benin will be played at Buenos Aires’ Monumental Stadium.
The friendly is part of a three-match home schedule during the September-October international window. Argentina is scheduled to face Bolivia in Cordoba on Sept. 30 and Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on Oct. 3 before meeting Benin three days later. Messi’s appearance is tied to the final match of that sequence.
Messi’s return also changes the meaning of his Aug. 31 announcement. He had said the time had come to leave the national team after reaching another World Cup final. Still, the federation’s invitation serves as a formal goodbye rather than ending his international career amid the aftermath of Spain’s defeat. Reuters reported that Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso were confirmed for the farewell fixture.
The timing follows an emotional summer
Argentina entered the 2026 World Cup as defending champion and reached the final before Spain won 1-0 in extra time. Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute, while Enzo Fernández was sent off late in regulation, leaving Argentina without the repeat championship.
Messi still produced a significant tournament, scoring eight goals across the World Cup. His final international tournament also added another piece to his record, as he became the first player to appear in six different World Cups, according to Reuters’ career summary.
The 2026 final contrasted with Messi’s previous World Cup ending. In Qatar, he scored twice in the 2022 final against France and lifted the trophy after Argentina won the penalty shootout. Four years later, Spain prevented another title, leaving Messi with one World Cup championship and a second-place finish in his final tournament.
Messi leaves with Argentina’s biggest international numbers
Messi announced his international retirement with Argentina’s records already firmly established. He had accumulated 207 appearances and 125 goals, making him the national team’s record appearance-maker and leading scorer. His major international honors include the 2021 and 2024 Copa América titles and the 2022 World Cup.
His relationship with Argentina was not always defined by those victories. After losing the 2014 World Cup final and back-to-back Copa América finals in 2015 and 2016, Messi briefly retired from international soccer in 2016 before returning later that year. His subsequent trophy run changed the story around his national-team career.
Fun fact: Messi’s first World Cup goal came in 2006 against Serbia and Montenegro, when he was 18 years old. Twenty years later, he was still scoring at the World Cup, making his international career span five World Cup tournaments before the 2026 event pushed that total to six.
His club career continues after the Argentina announcement
Messi’s international retirement does not mean the end of his playing career. He remains with Inter Miami and has continued playing for the club since announcing his decision to leave Argentina.
On Sept. 17, Messi scored his 100th goal for Inter Miami during a 2-0 victory over Cruz Azul in the Campeones Cup. The milestone came after he scored 4 goals in Miami’s 7-1 win over CF Montréal on Aug. 29 and recorded an assist in a 2-2 draw with Atlanta United on Sept. 5.
Messi has also moved further into football ownership. Reuters reported Sept. 9 that he reached an agreement in principle to acquire 100% of the shares of Spanish second-division club C.D. Eldense, although the transaction still requires legal and regulatory approval.
The farewell fixture also gives the AFA a clear setting for the closing ceremony, with the Monumental serving as the venue for Messi’s final appearance.
TL;DR
- Lionel Messi has been called up for a farewell appearance against Benin on Oct. 6 at Buenos Aires’ Monumental Stadium.
- Messi announced his retirement from Argentina on Aug. 31, about six weeks after the team lost the 2026 World Cup final to Spain.
- He announced his retirement with 207 appearances and 125 goals for Argentina, and the farewell is expected to be his 208th appearance.
- Messi continues his club career with Inter Miami and scored his 100th goal for the club on Sept. 17.
- Argentina will also face Bolivia on Sept. 30 and Burkina Faso on Oct. 3 before Messi’s scheduled farewell.
If you liked this story, don’t forget to follow us for more exclusive content.
This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
If you liked this, you might also like:
