Messi to Play Argentina Farewell Match Against Benin
Theo Al Jazeera English
Lionel Messi will end his Argentina career in a farewell friendly against Benin at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, with around 85,000 fans and members of the 2022 World Cup-winning squad expected to attend. The match marks a generational handover, with Messi leaving as Argentina's most-capped player and all-time top scorer.
After more than two decades of service to the national team, Lionel Messi will officially bring his international playing career to an end in a farewell friendly against Benin at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. The match marks a generational handover for Argentina, as the 39-year-old superstar passes the captain's armband to the next crop of players.
It is the last time Messi will wear the Argentina shirt. Around 85,000 spectators are expected, joined by many teammates who stood alongside him on the sport's highest peak at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as well as members of the emerging new generation.
The friendly stands as a symbolic moment of transition, closing the international legacy of a player who won the World Cup, two Copa America titles and the Finalissima.
Messi also departs the national team as Argentina's most-capped player and all-time leading scorer, with 125 goals in 207 appearances, along with a record 68 assists.
The farewell comes two and a half months after Argentina's defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey, where Messi left the pitch in tears after an underwhelming performance.
Announcing his international retirement in August, Messi wrote: "I gave everything I had. I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are outstanding young players coming through who deserve their chance."
Messi remains under contract with Inter Miami until 2028, though after the departure of his father, Jorge, two months ago, he hinted he could retire from the game entirely sooner than expected.
Friends reunited
Members of the 2022 World Cup-winning Argentina squad, along with their families, will attend Messi's farewell against Benin on Tuesday. Benin are ranked 93rd in the world. Veterans of the triumph in Doha, such as Angel Di Maria — who retired from international football in 2024 — will be present to witness the handover to a new generation entrusted with carrying on the Albiceleste's golden era.
Some newcomers, such as Franco Mastantuono and Leonel Flores, were not even born when "La Pulga" made his Argentina debut in 2005, during a historic period in which the team was still heavily influenced by Diego Maradona.
"It will be an unforgettable day for everyone. Everyone wants to be at this match, and now it is just about enjoying it," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said.
Argentina's new generation has shown its promise without its captain, though no one expects replacing the player many consider the greatest in football history to be easy.
"Collectively, we will try to fill the void Leo leaves behind," said Scaloni, who is negotiating a contract extension after leaving his future unresolved following the July World Cup defeat.
Scaloni, who mastered the art of building the right supporting cast around Messi, will also bid farewell to the national team on Tuesday alongside vice-captain Nicolas Otamendi, 38. Like Messi and Otamendi, midfielders Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso were called up only for the Benin match, raising the possibility that neither will wear the Argentina shirt again.
The new generation
The players certain to feature, at least from the bench, include the 2022 World Cup winners who will lead Argentina after the Messi era: defender Cristian Romero, midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez, and forwards Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez.
The combative centre-back Romero is expected to inherit the captain's armband, which Messi first wore at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Lautaro Martinez are next in the captaincy order.
They have already begun to rally around Messi's successors, showing their hunger for success in Argentina's first match since the World Cup final, against Bolivia in Cordoba on Wednesday. Argentina crushed Bolivia 4-0, with young talents Nico Paz and Jose Manuel Lopez scoring.
They followed that with a 7-0 win over Burkina Faso at the Monumental on Saturday, in which Mastantuono and Gianluca Prestianni scored their first international goals.
While Argentina's future is taking shape, one small but symbolic question remains unanswered: Who will inherit Messi's No. 10 shirt?
"We will not give the No. 10 to anyone until Leo's match is over. After that, we will see," Scaloni said.
