Lionel Messi to Play Farewell Match for Argentina

Lionel Messi has been named in Argentina's squad for a farewell international, the Argentine Football Association confirmed. He will join the group for a friendly against Benin on 6 October in Buenos Aires, the last of three matches in the autumn series that also includes fixtures against Bolivia on 30 September and Burkina Faso on 3 October.

AFA president Claudio Tapia said:

Messi, 39, announced on 31 August that he was stepping away from international football. He leaves as Argentina's record scorer and record appearance-holder, with 125 goals in 207 matches, and departs having won the World Cup in 2022, Olympic gold in 2008 and the Copa América twice, in 2021 and 2024. He is an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. At club level he plays for Inter Miami, currently second in Major League Soccer on 44 points from 24 matches, where he is the club's leading scorer this season with 17 goals, ahead of Luis Suárez on 12.

Also named in the squad is Zenit Saint Petersburg full-back Román Vega, who joins the senior group for the first time. The 24-year-old, previously capped only at youth level for Argentina, signed a five-year contract with Zenit in the summer after leaving Argentinos Juniors and has scored once for the Russian side since his move.

AFA had already said it would pause every match nationwide in the 10th minute for a round of applause following Messi's retirement announcement. The 6 October fixture in Buenos Aires now stands as the occasion itself.