Messi to Play Final Argentina Match Against Benin on October 6
Lionel Messi will play his final Argentina match on October 6, with Lionel Scaloni confirming the 39-year-old captain will face Benin in a Buenos Aires farewell at the Monumental Stadium.
What we know
- Messi decided in late August that he would retire from international football after this window.
- Argentina coach Scaloni pressed for the tribute fixture to be arranged now, wanting to be on the bench for the occasion while his own future availability was uncertain.
- Scaloni said Messi had made a major effort to return and say goodbye in front of the supporters who have backed him throughout his Argentina career.
- The Inter Miami forward is Argentina’s record goalscorer with 125 international goals. That total could still rise before his retirement is completed.
- Messi recently featured at his sixth World Cup, scoring eight goals in eight appearances. Scaloni called coaching him the defining experience of his career and said no comparable player will emerge.
- Scaloni also argued that Messi’s performances and numbers leave little debate over the top individual award while he remains active.
Argentina’s next step before the farewell
Argentina will first travel to Córdoba for a September 30 meeting with Bolivia. Burkina Faso then visit on October 3, three days before Benin provide Messi’s final international opposition.
The October 6 game will also underline a squad transition already being planned by Scaloni. Messi’s exit, alongside veteran defender Nicolas Otamendi’s retirement, has prompted Argentina to begin shaping its next generation.
