by Gianni Taina
Lionel Messi, at 39 years old and fresh off a standout showing at his sixth World Cup, will close out his international career on October 6, when the Monumental hosts Argentina’s farewell friendly against Benin as part of the current FIFA window.
The Inter Miami forward, who had already announced his retirement from the national team, was called up specifically for this last of three friendlies on Lionel Scaloni’s schedule.
Messi confirmed through Instagram on Monday that a special jersey has been made for the occasion. “Last match… A jersey for life,” he wrote alongside a video showing the back of the shirt he’ll wear against Benin.
Over more than two decades, Messi made 207 appearances for Argentina, scoring 125 goals and adding 68 assists, making him the national team’s all-time leader in caps, goals, and assists, and breaking dozens of records along the way. His legacy was cemented with the World Cup title in Qatar in 2022, a tournament in which he was the unquestioned central figure.
His international trophy case includes five different titles: Olympic gold at the 2008 Games, the 2021 and 2024 Copa América titles, the 2022 Finalissima, and the 2022 World Cup, a haul that makes his October 6 send-off the closing chapter of one of the most decorated careers in the sport’s history.
Nicolas Otamendi will have his farewell too
Messi won’t be the only one saying goodbye that night. Nicolas Otamendi, who retired from the national team following the World Cup final loss to Spain in July, was also included in the squad specifically for the October 6 match, giving the River Plate defender his own farewell at the same stadium his club calls home.
Over 139 caps across four World Cups, Otamendi won the 2022 World Cup, back-to-back Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024, and the 2022 Finalissima, closing out a career nearly as decorated as the one Messi is wrapping up alongside him.
Argentina’s schedule for this FIFA window
Argentina will play three friendlies during this international break. The team opens against Bolivia on September 30 at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium in Córdoba, before moving to Buenos Aires to face Burkina Faso on October 3 and close out the window against Benin on October 6, both at the Monumental.
