Lionel Messi is coming back for one last night in an Argentina shirt.
The Argentine Football Association confirmed on Tuesday that the 39-year-old has accepted a call-up for a farewell friendly against Benin on October 6 at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, weeks after retiring from international football.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni included the captain in the squad on September 15. AFA president Claudio Tapia announced the decision in a video statement after discussing it with Scaloni.
“To all the fans of the national team, to all Argentines, I want to let you know that after a conversation with the head coach of the senior national team, Lionel Scaloni, we have made the decision to invite the best player in the world, the symbol of our national team, our captain Lionel Andres Messi, so that he can have the farewell he truly deserves on October 6,” Tapia said.
He described the tribute as “the last tango of the best in the world.”
The 2022 champions invited back
Every member of Argentina’s Qatar 2022 World Cup-winning squad has been invited to the match, together with their families.
“After receiving Lionel’s acceptance, I will invite all the world champions who participated with him in the Qatar 2022 World Cup, so that, with their families, they can accompany him in the match that will be unforgettable for Argentine fans,” Tapia said.
Messi ended his international career in an Instagram post on August 31, after Argentina’s 1-0 extra-time defeat by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. He leaves the national team as its record holder for caps and goals, on 207 and 125.
Ronaldo’s reported Lisbon farewell falls 12 days earlier
Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly set to play his own final Portugal cap 12 days before Messi’s, a UEFA Nations League fixture against Wales at Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon on September 24. The venue is Sporting CP’s home ground, where the 41-year-old began his professional career before his 2003 move to Manchester United.
Neither Ronaldo nor the Portuguese Football Federation has publicly confirmed the Wales match as his farewell.
Asia tour scrapped for three home dates
Argentina had originally planned an Asia tour for the October international window. The AFA replaced it with three home friendlies built around the send-off:
- Bolivia on September 30 at Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba
- Burkina Faso on October 3 at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires
- Benin on October 6 at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires
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