Lionel Messi Set for Argentina Farewell Against Benin in Buenos Aires
Lionel Messi is set to make his final Argentina appearance when the world champions meet Benin in a farewell friendly at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. The 39-year-old is expected to start in front of a home crowd for a fixture arranged to mark the end of an international career spanning more than two decades.
Quick facts
- Argentina face Benin at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires on Wednesday.
- Messi is due to finish with 207 senior caps and 125 international goals.
- His Argentina honours include the 2022 World Cup, two Copa América trophies and Olympic gold.
- Members of the 2022 World Cup-winning squad have been invited for the occasion.
- Argentina’s next major tournament without Messi will be the 2028 Copa América.
Messi returned to his native Rosario on Friday before linking up with Lionel Scaloni’s squad last week. He has completed his final preparations with the national side and will be joined by several of the players central to Argentina’s recent trophy-winning run.
Rodrigo De Paul, Giovani Lo Celso and Nicolás Otamendi are among the established internationals expected to be involved. Otamendi is also planning to end his Argentina career following the 2026 World Cup.
Paulo Dybala, Nahuel Molina and Alejandro Gómez will not be present for the Buenos Aires send-off. The event will nevertheless bring together members of the group that lifted the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
Scaloni described Messi’s contribution to Argentina as impossible to match, saying the team would miss the singular feeling of having him on the field. The coach said he had not encountered another player capable of communicating so much through his football.
The Argentina manager also highlighted Messi’s standards away from matchdays, pointing to his habit of arriving first, leaving last and maintaining rigorous personal preparation. Scaloni said those daily qualities made the forward an example for his team-mates as well as an exceptional player.
Messi’s final record places him alone at the top of Argentina’s appearance and scoring history, with 125 goals in 207 senior matches. Alongside the World Cup, he helped end the country’s long wait for a major senior title by winning the Copa América twice, while his Olympic gold came earlier in his international career.
Argentina now face the challenge of sustaining their standing among the leading international sides without the player who defined their modern revival. The country previously went 35 years without a major trophy after Diego Maradona’s retirement.
Scaloni’s squad retain experienced figures including goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez and midfielder Enzo Fernández, while younger players such as Nico Paz and Gianluca Prestianni are pushing through. Their first major competition in the post-Messi period will be the 2028 Copa América, although it remains unclear whether Scaloni will still be in charge by then.
