Lionel Messi prepares for final Argentina appearance in Buenos Aires farewell match

Farewell at Estadio Monumental

Lionel Messi will take the pitch on Tuesday evening at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires for his final appearance with the Argentina national team. The friendly fixture against Benin, which is ranked 93rd in the FIFA world rankings (though named as Bolivia in one report), is scheduled for 20:00 local time (1:00 CET / 19:00 ET). Officials confirmed that all 85,000 seats at the stadium have sold out, while thousands of supporters without tickets gather in the surrounding streets. Billed as "The Last Tango", the match concludes an international career that began with his senior debut in 2005. Argentina national coach Lionel Scaloni spoke ahead of the occasion about the atmosphere in the camp.

It's going to be an unforgettable day for everyone. Everyone wants to be at this match, and now it's just about enjoying it.

Career records and trophy collection

The 39-year-old enters the match with 207 caps, 125 goals, and 68 assists, holding the national records for both appearances and scoring. His 16,367 minutes of international action brought four senior international trophies, consisting of the 2021 and 2024 Copa America titles, the 2022 Conmebol-UEFA Finalissima, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Messi assumed the number 10 shirt in 2009 after four years with the senior side. While American sports franchises frequently retire jersey numbers, such as Wilt Chamberlain's number 13 or Kobe Bryant's numbers 8 and 24, FIFA regulations require sequential national team squad numbering, meaning Argentina will continue issuing the number 10 jersey to future players.

The road from 2016 to the 2026 World Cup

Messi's international path included a temporary retirement in 2016 following a fourth defeat in tournament finals, when he stated that he had done everything possible before returning to the team. A decade later, he concluded his competitive tournament career at the 2026 World Cup in the United States. During that tournament, Messi recorded eight goals and four assists, briefly standing as the competition's all-time top scorer before Kylian Mbappe took the Golden Boot. Argentina reached the final in New Jersey, where they were defeated in extra time by Spain in a match that ended with defender Enzo Fernandez sent off in second-half stoppage time.

Retirement decision and squad transition

In August 2026, two and a half months after the World Cup final, Messi formally announced his decision to step away from international football.

I gave it my all. I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are great young players coming up who deserve their chance

The farewell match brings together past and future generations of the national team. Former teammates from the 2022 World Cup campaign, including Angel Di Maria, who retired from international duty in 2024, will attend the match alongside their families. Squad members including teenagers Franco Mastantuono and Leonel Flores, who were not yet born when Messi debuted in 2005, are included in the setup. At club level, Messi remains under contract with MLS side Inter Miami through 2028, though he noted that the death of his father, Jorge, two months earlier could accelerate his total retirement from professional football.