On October 6, Lionel Messi will wear the Albiceleste shirt one last time, with the icon picked for a farewell game in an upcoming friendly at home.
On August 31, 2026, Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football, bringing an illustrious Argentina career to a close. But on October 6, he will wear the Albiceleste shirt one last time, with the icon picked for a farewell game in an upcoming friendly at home.
There had been speculation over how long Messi would continue his international career, with the 2028 Copa America considered a potential swansong. But the Inter Miami star announced his retirement from Argentina last month, a decision he had reportedly made shortly after the 2026 World Cup final defeat to Spain.
However, Messi will be back in Argentina colour for a last dance as coach Lionel Scaloni picked him in the preliminary 26-member squad for an upcoming friendly match against Benin in Buenos Aires on October 6.
Argentina are scheduled to play three friendly matches at home, starting September 30, against Bolivia in Cordoba, before taking in Burkina Faso on October 3 at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. Three days later, the same Monumental Stadium will stage Messi’s farewell game.
The Argentina Football Association (AFA) confirmed, along with Giovani Lo Celso and Rodrigo de Paul, who won the 2022 World Cup alongside the captain in Qatar, that Messi will play only one friendly match, against the west African nation.