Lionel Messi to play final Argentina match on October 6 in Buenos Aires farewell

Lionel Messi will close his story with the Argentina national team on October 6, when the world champions host Benin at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. The Argentine Football Association locked in his farewell by naming him in the squad for the upcoming international break, just weeks after Messi confirmed he was stepping away from international football.

• Argentina plays three friendlies: Bolivia on September 30 in Cordoba, Burkina Faso on October 3, and Benin on October 6 in Buenos Aires.
• Messi features only in the farewell match at the Monumental, with Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso also joining for that game.
• The Bolivia match will be played with reduced capacity due to FIFA sanctions over an altercation after a World Cup qualifier.
• Messi could appear for Inter Miami on Wednesday in the Campeones Cup final against Cruz Azul before linking up with Argentina.

How Messi's Monumental farewell against Benin will unfold

The Monumental will stage one final night of Messi in Argentina colors. The federation formally invited its captain to receive the send-off his career deserves, and the forward answered the call in the list published by AFA president Claudio Tapia. Alongside him, De Paul and Lo Celso will join the squad in time for the closing fixture of the window.

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

Messi's presence turns the friendly against Benin into a historic occasion. It marks the first senior meeting between the two nations, and the Monumental provides the stage where the number 10 built so many of the memories that define his international career.

Argentina's October friendly schedule with Messi's last dance

Scaloni has three matches in quick succession to close out the year with the core of his world champion squad. The tour starts in Cordoba, moves to Buenos Aires, and ends at the Monumental with Messi's goodbye.

• September 30: Argentina vs. Bolivia at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Cordoba.
• October 3: Argentina vs. Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires.
• October 6: Argentina vs. Benin at the Estadio Monumental, Messi's farewell.

Why FIFA cut capacity for Argentina's Bolivia fixture

The opening match of the window will take place with half the stands empty. The restriction comes from FIFA disciplinary action linked to a post-match altercation involving Argentina players during 2026 World Cup qualifying. The reduced capacity in Cordoba is part of the sanction applied to the South American side.

Messi faces Cruz Azul with Inter Miami before Argentina return

Before putting on the Argentina shirt for the last time, Messi has a club commitment on the calendar. Inter Miami take on Cruz Azul in the Campeones Cup final at Chase Stadium on Wednesday, and the Argentine is expected to feature. A strong performance there would send him into the international camp with momentum and another trophy within reach.

The legacy Messi leaves behind with the world champion Albiceleste

Messi's departure brings down the curtain on the most successful era in Argentina's history. A World Cup winner in Qatar in 2022, a Copa America champion in 2021 and a Finalissima winner in 2022, the captain bows out with a legacy that ended a 36-year wait for football's biggest prize. His farewell in Buenos Aires gives the fans one last chance to salute the player who defined a generation.