Lionel Messi will have his farewell appearance with the Argentina national team on October 6, according to Fabrizio Romano. The moment will come in a friendly against Benin at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
The match will be Argentina’s first FIFA window since the World Cup final defeat to Spain and Messi’s retirement from international football.
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Lionel Scaloni’s side will also face Bolivia in Córdoba on September 30 and Burkina Faso at the Monumental on October 3. The Benin match will therefore be Messi’s third appearance during the window and his final game for Argentina.
The Argentine Football Association had been working toward this outcome for weeks, hoping to give Messi a proper farewell on home soil after his club career ended without one in Barcelona.
Officials have discussed tributes and video montages to mark the occasion at the Monumental, a stadium closely tied to some of his biggest moments in Argentina colors. Benin, ranked 93rd in the world, will face Argentina for the first time.
The fixture will cap a window built around Messi’s farewell as well as Argentina’s results, bringing his international career of more than two decades to a close.
