Football / One Last Roar! Lionel Messi’s Argentina Farewell to Rock Buenos Aires

New Delhi, Sep 16: The curtain is set to fall on Lionel Messi’s legendary Argentina career. Next month, the Albiceleste captain will take the field one last time in Buenos Aires, leading his nation into a farewell friendly against Benin at River Plate’s iconic Estadio Monumental.

The Argentine Football Association confirmed the October 6 fixture will serve as the final appearance for the national team’s greatest icon.

“We invited the world’s best player, our national‑team icon, our captain Lionel Andres Messi, to have a deserved farewell here in Argentina,” AFA president Claudio Tapia wrote on social media. Tapia added that Argentina’s 2022 World Cup winners and their families have also been invited to what he described as an “unforgettable” occasion.

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Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, and Giovani Lo Celso will join the squad for the match, while the list of domestic‑league call‑ups will be announced later this week.

The 39‑year‑old forward announced his retirement from international football on August 31, ending a glittering 20‑year career with Argentina.

“After the time that has passed since the final, and after giving it a lot of thought, I want to let everyone know that I am retiring from the Argentina national team,” Messi wrote.

“It was a decision that hurt – and still hurts deep down – but I understand that the time has come. I swear to you that I always gave it my all – not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too.”

Messi leaves as Argentina’s most‑capped player with 207 appearances and its all‑time leading scorer with 125 goals. His international honors include the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024, and a runners‑up finish at Brazil 2014.

At his final World Cup earlier this year, he scored eight goals and provided four assists, though Argentina lost 1‑0 to Spain in the final after extra time.

Argentina will play three friendlies between September 21 and October 6: against Bolivia in Córdoba on September 30, Burkina Faso at the Monumental on October 3, and Benin on October 6.

The farewell match at River Plate’s 85,000‑capacity stadium is expected to be a historic send‑off for the eight‑time Ballon d’Or winner, who continues his club career with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.

(IANS)