All good things come to an end. Such is life and such is football. Lionel Messi has been the best footballer of his generation, and probably beyond that, with very few others standing on the same hill as him. Now we bid farewell to the GOAT, at least in international football. October 6th, 2026, will be the last time any of us can watch the diminutive Argentine in the La Albiceleste No. 10 shirt. In what will be his 208th appearance for the Argentine national team, Messi & Co will face Benin at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

This friendly match will serve as a farewell game, and all tickets for the 85,000-seat stadium have been sold . Messi’s last match for Argentina is not against any of the national team’s fiercest rivals, but it will have special meaning for many. The Argentina vs. Benin fixture is one of the three that Argentina will play in October, with the other two being duels vs. Bolivia in Córdoba on 30th of September, and vs. Burkina Faso on 3rd of October.

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA – OCTOBER 15: Lautaro Martinez of Argentina celebrates with teammate Lionel Messi after scoring the team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 South American Qualifier match between Argentina and Bolivia at Estadio Más Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti on October 15, 2024 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)

For most fans of the Argentine superstar, his appearance against Spain was considered the last he would ever make for the national team. The defeat in the 2026 World Cup final was tough for the entire nation to bear, and Messi was no one to take it lightly. At the New York/New Jersey MetLife Stadium, Ferran Torres scored in the 106th minute, and gifted Spain another WC trophy. It appeared as if Messi’s Argentina was destined to lose the final with a 1:0 score after Germany defeated them with the same score back in 2014. The most recent defeat was even more bitter, as the entire team managed only two shots (0.2 xG) during the match. It was a painful defeat, and because of its severity and Lionel’s advanced age, both fans and pundits believed it was his last match for Argentina.

Luckily, we were all wrong. Not even his farewell message considered this date and the Benin vs. Argentina fixture. In late August, Messi addressed his fans on social media with a farewell message. He wrote it only two days after the World Cup Final, but Messi waited for the official announcement because of his father’s poor medical condition. He came forward on August 31st and said, “After all this time since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to tell everyone that I’m retiring from the national team.” His full message was one of hurt and deep emotions, but it felt right, as he concluded: “Thank you, God, for making me Argentine.” Lionel is not one to backtrack on his word, but this time he did it for all the right reasons.

Messi’s international retirement will be official once the fixture vs. Benin is concluded. The idea to have Messi play this match comes from the Argentine Football Association. After a two-decade career that includes winning the 2022 World Cup and Copa America triumphs in 2021 and 2024, it’s the least that the 39-year-old legend of the game deserves. In the words of the country’s FA president Claudio Tapia: “We made the decision to invite the best player in the world, the symbol of our national team, our captain, Lionel Andres Messi, so that he can have the farewell he truly deserves on October 6 here in Argentina.”

Lionel Messi bid farewell to the competitive side of international football, a decision taken seriously by both the Argentine Football Association and the team’s head coach, Lionel Scaloni. For Messi, it will be a testimonial duel, but for Scaloni, the match vs. Benin and the other two friendlies against Bolivia and Burkina Faso will be an opportunity to prepare his team for the post-Messi era.

Because these games will serve more of a purpose than simply saying goodbye to Messi, Scaloni decided to call up 35 players. This number far exceeds what’s needed for a few ordinary friendlies. It’s because one of these games is more than a friendly. The main reason why 35 players were invited is that Scaloni gave call-ups to the players he firmly counts on to carry the team in the coming years, to a couple of youngsters who could be the future after Messi, and he assembled the majority of players who were part of the national team back in 2022 when they took home the FIFA World Cup trophy in Qatar.