Messi set for emotional Argentina farewell against Benin

Lionel Messi will bring down the curtain on his Argentina career on Tuesday, in a farewell friendly against Benin at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

The 39-year-old will hand over the captain’s armband for good after more than two decades with the national team, playing in front of 85,000 fans, Dawn reported, citing AFP.

A record that may never be matched

Messi leaves as Argentina’s greatest player by almost every measure:

• Goals: a record 125 in 207 games
• Appearances: 207, more than anyone in Argentina’s history
• Assists: a record 68
• Trophies: the 2022 World Cup, two Copa America titles and the Finalissima

“I gave it my all; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are great young players coming up who deserve their chance,” Messi wrote when he announced his international retirement in August.

A painful last chapter

His farewell comes two and a half months after Argentina lost an ill-tempered World Cup final to Spain in New Jersey, where Messi left in tears after making little impact.

He is under contract with Inter Miami until 2028, but after the death of his father, Jorge, two months ago, he said he may retire from football altogether sooner than expected.

Old friends and new faces

Members of the 2022 World Cup-winning squad and their families will join Messi for the farewell. Veterans such as Angel Di Maria, who retired from international football in 2024, will be there to see the torch passed on.

Some of Argentina’s new generation, including Franco Mastantuono and Leonel Flores, were not even born when Messi made his debut in 2005.

“It’s going to be an unforgettable day for everyone. Everyone wants to be at this match, and now it’s just about enjoying it,” coach Lionel Scaloni said.

Life after Leo

• New captain: centre-back Cristian Romero is set to take the armband, first worn by Messi at the 2010 World Cup, with Emiliano Martinez and Lautaro Martinez next in line
• Other goodbyes: vice-captain Nicolas Otamendi, 38, also bows out, and Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso were called up only for this match
• Fine form: Argentina beat Bolivia 4-0 and Burkina Faso 7-0 in their first games after the World Cup, with young players such as Nico Paz and Mastantuono scoring

“Collectively, we will try to fill the void left by Leo,” Scaloni said. The coach, who built Argentina’s team around Messi, is himself negotiating a contract extension after leaving his future open following the World Cup final.

Who gets the number 10?

One question remains: who will inherit Messi’s famous shirt? “We won’t give the number 10 to anyone until Leo’s match takes place,” Scaloni said. “After that, we’ll see.”

Why it matters

Messi, regarded by many as the greatest footballer in history, has millions of fans in Pakistan who grew up watching him. Tuesday marks the end of an era, for Argentina and for the game. Read our report on Portugal’s win without Ronaldo.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn and AFP.