Messi to officially bid farewell to Argentina squad on October 6
The Argentine Football Association has announced that Lionel Messi will officially say goodbye to the national team on October 6 in a friendly against Benin, more than a year after he first announced his retirement from international football.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has announced two friendly matches in early October that the national team will play in front of home fans. On October 3, Argentina will host Burkina Faso, followed by a match against Benin on October 6. Both games will take place at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, which holds 85,000 spectators.
According to the outlet Tapia, it is in the second match against Benin that Lionel Messi will officially take his leave of the national team. The AFA president explained that the decision to call up the team's captain for this match was made so he could receive the farewell he truly deserves. All members of the 2022 World Cup-winning squad have also been invited to attend the match in person, having lifted the trophy alongside Messi.
The 39-year-old Messi announced his retirement from the national team shortly after the last World Cup final, in which Argentina lost. Since then, however, he had not yet played his final official match for the squad.
Messi holds the record for most appearances for the Argentine national team, with 207 caps, and is also the squad's all-time top scorer with 125 goals. With Argentina, he won the Copa America in both 2021 and 2024.
