Lionel Messi's Argentina farewell match is set: Date, opponent, venue, kick-off and everything you need to know
Lionel Messi's Argentina career is finally approaching its last night. The 39-year-old will pull on the famous blue-and-white shirt one more time in October, with the farewell already carrying a few details that make it unlike an ordinary international friendly, from the opponent and venue to the special No.10 jersey he will wear for the occasion.
When and where will Lionel Messi play his final match for Argentina?
Messi's final appearance for Argentina is scheduled for October 6, 2026, when the world champions host Benin in Buenos Aires during the current FIFA international window.
The match will take place at El Monumental, the home of River Plate and the largest stadium in South America, with the venue capable of holding around 84,000 spectators.
It will be the last of Argentina's three FIFA-date friendlies, giving Messi a final opportunity to play in front of his country's supporters before officially closing his international career.
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has included Messi in the squad for the match, with the fixture specifically serving as a farewell and tribute to the forward after he announced his international retirement in August.
Messi will enter the match with 207 appearances for Argentina, meaning the Benin fixture is expected to become his 208th and final cap for the national team.
The opponent will be Benin, a narrow coastal country bordered by Nigeria to the east, Togo to the west, and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north.
Benin's senior national team is known as Les Guépards, or The Cheetahs, after officially changing its nickname from The Squirrels. The team traditionally wears a distinctive yellow and green home kit.
The side is coached by Gernot Rohr, the German-French manager who took charge in February 2023. Rohr led Benin to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where the team reached the round of 16.
The two countries have also crossed paths recently at youth level, with Argentina's U-20 women's team beating Benin 8-0 at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in September 2026.
Why is this Lionel Messi's farewell match for Argentina?
Messi's final appearance brings the curtain down on an international career that has lasted more than two decades and produced records, major trophies and the defining achievement of his career with Argentina: the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The forward currently holds Argentina's national-team records with 125 goals and 68 assists, and his 207 appearances before the Benin match already place him at the top of the country's appearance list.
His international trophy collection also includes Olympic gold in 2008, consecutive Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024, and the Finalissima in 2022, before Argentina won the World Cup later that year.
"One last match. A jersey for a lifetime."
Messi has now confirmed that his final Argentina appearance will come with a special shirt. In a message shared ahead of the farewell, he wrote: "One last match. A jersey for a lifetime."
A newly released video shows Messi replacing a standard Argentina shirt with a special Adidas jersey carrying his name and iconic No.10 in gold, before picking up a pair of white boots.
The farewell follows Messi's decision to retire from international football, which he described as painful despite everything he had achieved with the national team.
"After the time passed since the (World Cup) final, and after thinking carefully about it, I would like to announce to everyone that I will retire from playing with the national team," Messi said when announcing the decision. "It was a painful decision, and it still hurts me deeply, but I understand that the time has come. I swear to you that I have always given my best, not only in the past few years when we won everything, but before that too."
Messi also explained what representing Argentina had meant to him throughout his career.
"I have always fought and left everything on the pitch for this shirt, to bring you happiness and make you feel proud to be Argentines through football."
When and where will Lionel Messi play his final match for Argentina?
Messi's final appearance for Argentina is scheduled for October 6, 2026, when the world champions host Benin in Buenos Aires during the current FIFA international window.
The match will take place at El Monumental, the home of River Plate and the largest stadium in South America, with the venue capable of holding around 84,000 spectators.
It will be the last of Argentina's three FIFA-date friendlies, giving Messi a final opportunity to play in front of his country's supporters before officially closing his international career.
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has included Messi in the squad for the match, with the fixture specifically serving as a farewell and tribute to the forward after he announced his international retirement in August.
Messi will enter the match with 207 appearances for Argentina, meaning the Benin fixture is expected to become his 208th and final cap for the national team.
The opponent will be Benin, a narrow coastal country bordered by Nigeria to the east, Togo to the west, and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north.
Benin's senior national team is known as Les Guépards, or The Cheetahs, after officially changing its nickname from The Squirrels. The team traditionally wears a distinctive yellow and green home kit.
The side is coached by Gernot Rohr, the German-French manager who took charge in February 2023. Rohr led Benin to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where the team reached the round of 16.
The two countries have also crossed paths recently at youth level, with Argentina's U-20 women's team beating Benin 8-0 at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in September 2026.
Why is this Lionel Messi's farewell match for Argentina?
Messi's final appearance brings the curtain down on an international career that has lasted more than two decades and produced records, major trophies and the defining achievement of his career with Argentina: the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The forward currently holds Argentina's national-team records with 125 goals and 68 assists, and his 207 appearances before the Benin match already place him at the top of the country's appearance list.
His international trophy collection also includes Olympic gold in 2008, consecutive Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024, and the Finalissima in 2022, before Argentina won the World Cup later that year.
"One last match. A jersey for a lifetime."
Messi has now confirmed that his final Argentina appearance will come with a special shirt. In a message shared ahead of the farewell, he wrote: "One last match. A jersey for a lifetime."
A newly released video shows Messi replacing a standard Argentina shirt with a special Adidas jersey carrying his name and iconic No.10 in gold, before picking up a pair of white boots.
The farewell follows Messi's decision to retire from international football, which he described as painful despite everything he had achieved with the national team.
"After the time passed since the (World Cup) final, and after thinking carefully about it, I would like to announce to everyone that I will retire from playing with the national team," Messi said when announcing the decision. "It was a painful decision, and it still hurts me deeply, but I understand that the time has come. I swear to you that I have always given my best, not only in the past few years when we won everything, but before that too."
Messi also explained what representing Argentina had meant to him throughout his career.
"I have always fought and left everything on the pitch for this shirt, to bring you happiness and make you feel proud to be Argentines through football."
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