Messi in Argentina squad for farewell friendly

What the report says

Argentina have included Lionel Messi in their squad for an October friendly against Benin that is being framed as a farewell appearance for the forward in international football, according to BBC Sport Football. The match is scheduled for 6 October at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, and Argentina FA president Claudio Tapia said the team wanted Messi to receive the send-off he deserves at home.

The BBC reports that Messi announced his retirement from Argentina duty in August after the country’s defeat by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, saying the decision hurt him deeply and that he felt he had nothing left to give. The 39-year-old Inter Miami player is Argentina’s record scorer and most-capped player, with 125 goals in 207 appearances, and he led the side to the 2022 World Cup title.

Tapia said Argentina also planned to invite the 2022 World Cup-winning squad to the match, describing it as an occasion intended to be unforgettable. The report adds some disciplinary context: Argentina had been ordered to play home matches with reduced capacity after World Cup-related breaches, but scheduled friendlies before the Benin game should mean that sanction has already been served. It also notes that some players, including Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina, are not expected to be available because of suspensions linked to post-final incidents.