Messi added to Argentina squad for farewell match Oct. 6

Lionel Messi will suit up for Argentina one final time. The Argentine Football Association announced Tuesday that the 39-year-old Inter Miami star has been included in Lionel Scaloni's 28-man squad for a series of home friendlies, with Messi set to feature exclusively in an October 6 match against Benin at River Plate's Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.newsday+1

The call-up comes weeks after Messi announced his retirement from international football following Argentina's 1–0 loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final on July 19. The match against Benin will be his 208th and final cap for the national team, where he holds the all-time scoring record with 125 goals.nytimes

'The Last Tango'

AFA president Claudio Tapia said the decision came after discussions with head coach Scaloni. "We decided to invite the best player in the world — our icon, our captain Lionel Messi — so that he can have the farewell he deserves on October 6," Tapia said, per the Associated Press. Tapia added that all members of Argentina's 2022 Qatar World Cup-winning squad have been invited to attend the match with their families "to witness the 'last tango' of the world's best player."bleacherreport+2

Messi, along with Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso, will join the squad solely for the Benin friendly and will not participate in the earlier matches against Bolivia on September 30 in Córdoba or Burkina Faso on October 3 in Buenos Aires.bolavip+1

A Career of Finals

The farewell caps a 21-year international career in which Messi led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title and two Copa América trophies. His last competitive appearance, in this summer's World Cup final, made him the second player in history — after Brazil's Cafu — to appear in three men's World Cup finals.nytimes

Messi said last month that his decision to retire from international football "deeply pains my soul" but acknowledged "the time has come." His retirement followed the death of his father, Jorge, on August 8, after which the Inter Miami player expressed uncertainty about how much longer he would continue playing at any level.nytimes

What Comes Next

Argentina's October window will also begin to shape the post-Messi era. Scaloni's own future remains uncertain, with his contract expiring in December and the coach having hinted at stepping down after the World Cup final loss. Three players — Leandro Paredes, Nahuel Molina, and Thiago Almada — are serving FIFA suspensions stemming from a scuffle after the final, though the AFA has secured authorization for them to serve those bans during these friendlies.newsday+1