University of Buenos Aires awards Lionel Messi honorary doctorate ahead of farewell match

Academic recognition

The University of Buenos Aires announced on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, that it will award football forward Lionel Messi an honorary doctorate, the institution's highest academic distinction. The university's Superior Council reached the decision through a unanimous vote. Council members stated that the career of the 39-year-old athlete serves as an example of excellence, perseverance, humility, and ethical conduct in the pursuit of his profession, as well as dedication to representing the Argentine Republic. The university noted that these attributes reflect the core principles that the institution has long sought to promote.

Ceremony and farewell fixture

The award will be formally conferred on Messi prior to his farewell match for the Argentine national team at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. The friendly encounter against Benin is scheduled for the night of 6 to 7 October 2026. Supporter demand for the occasion resulted in all stadium tickets selling out in less than two hours after going on sale.

The farewell appearance follows Messi's decision in late August 2026 to announce his retirement from international football, a move that came six weeks after Argentina lost the 2026 World Cup final to Spain. While that announcement led supporters to believe his international career was finished, national team coach Lionel Scaloni selected the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner for the current international window to grant him an official farewell on home soil.

Cultural resonance and leadership

In the official announcement, University Rector Ricardo Gelpi explained that the academic tribute extends beyond athletic statistics to celebrate Messi's broader role in Argentine society.

Beyond what we all know in Argentina about Messi, regardless of the numbers and statistics that prove his achievements as an athlete, we also want to honor a humble, persevering person who is a role model and ambassador of our popular culture and our national identity.

The university specifically cited his leadership as team captain during a four-tournament championship run for the national team. Under his captaincy, Argentina won four consecutive international trophies: the Copa America in 2021, the Finalissima against European champions Italy in 2022, the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022, and a second consecutive Copa America in 2024.

International career milestones

The upcoming match against Benin concludes more than two decades of competition for Messi with the senior national team. Over that period, the forward established individual records for the Albiceleste across appearances and attacking output. He holds the national records for caps with 207 matches, for scoring with 125 goals, and for assists with 68.

His international record also includes winning an Olympic gold medal in 2008 and reaching two additional World Cup finals, finishing as tournament runner-up in both 2014 and 2026. The ceremony at the Estadio Monumental unites his final appearance in the national jersey with formal academic recognition from the university.