Football fans mourning the international retirement of Lionel Messi have received unexpected good news, with the Argentine Football Association confirming a dedicated farewell match for the legendary captain. Having stepped away from national duty after leading La Albiceleste to the 2026 World Cup final, Messi has accepted a call-up from coach Lionel Scaloni to feature in a special friendly fixture against Benin on October 6. Set against the backdrop of an 85,000-strong crowd at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental, the event aims to give the nation’s all-time leading scorer a fitting public curtain call.
According to official statements from AFA leadership, the entire 2022 World Cup-winning contingent has been invited to witness and partake in the festivities alongside the captain. The fixture caps an intensive three-match home series that begins with a clash against Bolivia in Cordoba on September 30 and a subsequent encounter against Burkina Faso on October 3, setting up a poetic final bow for a career spanning over two decades
