Lionel Messi is set to bring his remarkable international career with Argentina to a close when the world champions face Benin in a special friendly at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires on Tuesday.
The encounter has been arranged as a farewell for the 39-year-old captain, giving Argentine supporters one final opportunity to watch their iconic No. 10 represent the national team on home soil.
The Argentine Football Association has prepared the occasion as more than an ordinary friendly, with the match expected to become an emotional celebration of Messi’s extraordinary contribution to the national team. About 85,000 supporters are expected at the Monumental, while members of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad and their families have also been invited.
For Messi, the occasion represents the closing chapter of a journey that began with his Argentina debut in 2005.
Over more than two decades, the forward experienced some of the highest and lowest moments possible in international football. His early years were marked by disappointment in major finals, but those struggles eventually gave way to an era of unprecedented success for Argentina.
Messi leaves the national team as its most-capped player and leading goalscorer. Ahead of the farewell match, he has made 207 appearances and scored 125 goals for Argentina, including 21 at the World Cup. He also holds the national record for assists, with 68.
A career transformed by trophies
The final stage of Messi’s international career produced the silverware that had eluded him for much of his time with Argentina.
He helped Argentina win the Copa América in 2021 before leading the country to victory at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. That triumph was followed by another Copa América title in 2024 and further success in the Finalissima.
Argentina also reached the 2026 World Cup final, although the defending champions were beaten 1-0 by Spain in New Jersey. Messi’s decision to end his international career came after that tournament.
His farewell against Benin therefore comes shortly after the conclusion of another World Cup campaign and marks the beginning of a new chapter for the South American giants.
Messi has already acknowledged the emotional significance of leaving the national team. Ahead of his final training session, he shared photographs from the Argentina camp and wrote that they were moments he knew he would miss.
Monumental prepares to honour its captain
The atmosphere in Buenos Aires is expected to be unlike that of a conventional international friendly.
Argentina’s football authorities have described the occasion as a celebration that will go beyond the result on the pitch. The Monumental is expected to be filled with supporters eager to pay tribute to the player who helped restore Argentina to the summit of world football.
Several of Messi’s former teammates are also expected to be part of the celebration, including members of the squad that lifted the 2022 World Cup.
For Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, the night will be an important moment for everyone associated with the national team. He has praised Messi’s professionalism and influence on younger players, highlighting the example he has set both on and off the pitch.
Benin given historic role
Benin will have the unusual distinction of being Messi’s final international opponent.
The West African nation travelled to Argentina for the friendly during the extended FIFA international window. Benin coach Gernot Rohr has indicated that his team intends to approach the fixture competitively despite the attention surrounding Messi’s farewell.
For the Cheetahs, the match offers an opportunity to test themselves against one of the world’s strongest football nations while simultaneously becoming part of an historic night in international football.
The fixture will also provide Argentina with an opportunity to begin preparing for life without their longtime captain.
Although Messi’s departure will leave an enormous gap, Argentina already possesses a group of younger players expected to carry the team forward. The transition will not be straightforward, given the scale of Messi’s influence, but the country’s recent success has provided a strong foundation for the next generation.
The end of the Messi era
Messi’s departure from international football closes one of the longest and most decorated chapters in Argentina’s football history.
His career with the Albiceleste survived years of criticism and near misses before culminating in major international trophies. The World Cup triumph in Qatar was particularly significant, completing the achievement that had been missing from his résumé and placing him alongside Argentina’s greatest football legends.
He will now turn his attention primarily to club football, where he continues to play for Inter Miami.
But regardless of what comes next, his contribution to Argentina’s national team is unlikely to be matched easily.
When Messi walks onto the Monumental pitch against Benin, the focus will be less on the friendly’s final score and more on celebrating a player who spent more than 20 years carrying Argentina’s hopes, enduring its disappointments and ultimately delivering its greatest international prizes.
For millions of Argentine supporters, it will be a final chance to see their legendary captain in the famous blue-and-white shirt.
And when the final whistle sounds, an extraordinary era of Argentine football will officially come to an end.
