Lionel Messi called up by Argentina for farewell match on October 6

Lionel Messi is back in an Argentina squad list to say goodbye to his fans. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced on Tuesday that the 39-year-old captain will be part of the team facing Benin on October 6 at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. It will be his first appearance with the national team since he announced his international retirement, two months after the World Cup final defeat against Spain.

• Messi will play his farewell match with Argentina on October 6 against Benin.
• The tribute will take place at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
• Argentina will first face Bolivia and Burkina Faso during this international window.
• Leandro Paredes, Nahuel Molina and Thiago Almada will serve suspensions for their roles in an altercation during the World Cup final.

Messi's farewell with Argentina at the Monumental

AFA president Claudio Tapia confirmed the presence of the Rosario-born star. On social media, Tapia explained that the Federation invited the best player in the world and team captain to have the farewell he deserves. The chosen venue is the Estadio Monumental, the legendary River Plate stadium in Buenos Aires, where Argentine fans will be able to pay tribute to their greatest idol.

We invited the best player in the world to play, our captain Lionel Andres Messi, to have a deserved farewell on October 6 here in Argentina.

Argentina's October international window schedule

The match against Benin will be the final chapter of a series of friendlies that Argentina will play at home. The first fixture is scheduled for September 30 at the Mario Kempes Stadium in Cordoba, where the Albiceleste will face Bolivia. Three days later, on October 3, the team will move to Buenos Aires to play Burkina Faso, setting the stage for Messi's final tribute.

FIFA sanctions affecting Argentina's friendlies

The match against Bolivia will be played with stadium capacity reduced by 50 percent. This measure is part of sanctions imposed by FIFA following incidents that occurred during the last World Cup. The international governing body applied this restriction in response to altercations registered in various matches of the global tournament.

Players suspended for the altercation in the final against Spain

In addition to the reduced capacity in Cordoba, three Argentine players will have to serve suspensions during these friendlies. Leandro Paredes received a ten-match ban, Nahuel Molina a seven-match ban, and Thiago Almada a one-match ban for their roles in an altercation during the World Cup final against Spain. None of the three will be available for the start of this international window.

Messi's goodbye after the World Cup final

Messi ended his career with the Argentine national team shortly after losing the World Cup final to Spain. It was a decision he made at the age of 39, closing a brilliant chapter that established him as one of the greatest footballers in history. Since then, Argentina had not called up their captain in an official squad until this announcement by the AFA.

What Argentina is playing for in this international window

Although these are friendly matches, the occasion carries enormous symbolic weight for Argentine football. It is the first chance for fans to see Messi again wearing the Albiceleste jersey after his retirement, and an opportunity for the team to start building its future without its historic leader on the pitch. The October 6 tribute will leave an unforgettable mark on South American football history.