The Argentine Football Association has arranged a friendly against Benin at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental for 6 October 2026 as Lionel Messi’s send-off in the national shirt, confirmed roughly two weeks after the 39-year-old announced his international retirement.
Messi stepped away from the Argentina team on August 31, following the July 19 World Cup final in New Jersey where his side lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time. He goes into the Monumental fixture on 207 caps and 125 international goals, both records for Argentina, and the appearance will be his 208th and last in the national shirt.
“It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep in my soul but I understand that it is the right time,” Messi said in his retirement message, reported by Al Jazeera.
The number he carries into the fixture is 48. Inter Miami’s 2-0 win over Cruz Azul in the Campeones Cup on September 17 delivered the trophy that widened his lead on football’s all-time list to four over Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos.
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Ten titles that shaped the record
The breakdown runs across four clubs and the Argentina team. These are the ten that carry the most weight.
- 2022 FIFA World Cup: The trophy that had eluded him for a decade, sealed against France in Qatar. The debate about where Messi ranked in the game’s history essentially collapsed into it.
- 2021 Copa América: His first senior international honor, ending Argentina’s long wait for a major title with victory over Brazil at the Maracanã.
- 2015 UEFA Champions League: The last of his four European crowns with Barcelona, in Berlin against Juventus, and part of the Luis Enrique treble.
- 2024 Copa América: Back-to-back continentals, secured in Miami with a win over Colombia in the final.
- 2008 Olympic gold: His first senior international medal, won with Argentina’s under-23s in Beijing.
- 2022 Finalissima: Argentina beat European champions Italy 3-0 at Wembley in the intercontinental one-off, a rehearsal for what came in Qatar.
- 2011 UEFA Champions League: The Wembley win over Manchester United, arguably the peak of the Pep Guardiola Barcelona era.
- 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup: Tournament top scorer as Argentina lifted the trophy in the Netherlands. The catalog began here.
- 2023 Leagues Cup: Inter Miami’s first trophy of any kind, delivered within weeks of his arrival in Florida.
- 2026 Campeones Cup: The 48th title, stretching him clear of every player in the sport’s history.
A ceremonial return, not a reversal
The AFA has framed the Benin fixture as a one-off tribute rather than a change of heart on retirement. Messi is in the squad for this game only, and the appearance at the Monumental will be his 208th and last for Argentina.
His own Instagram message ahead of the fixture kept it short. “One last match,” he wrote. “A jersey for a lifetime.”
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