Argentina name Messi squad for October farewell friendly vs Benin — SkimNews
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- Argentina named Lionel Messi in their squad for an October 6 friendly against Benin at River Plate's 85,000-capacity Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, a match Argentine FA president Claudio Tapia described as the farewell Messi "truly deserves."
- Messi announced his retirement from Argentina duty in August following the country's 2026 World Cup final loss to Spain, saying the decision "deeply" hurt him but that he had "nothing left to give," compounded by the recent death of his father, Jorge.
- Messi, 39, an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner currently at Inter Miami, retires as Argentina's all-time leading scorer and most-capped player with 125 goals in 207 appearances, including captaining the 2022 World Cup-winning side.
- Argentina invited the 2022 World Cup-winning squad to attend the match, with Tapia calling the occasion "unforgettable," while also scheduling friendlies against Bolivia (September 30 in Cordoba) and Burkina Faso (October 3 in Buenos Aires) around it.
- Argentina were ordered by FIFA to play their next two home matches at 50% capacity for disciplinary breaches including the Falkland Islands sovereignty banner displayed after their 2-1 World Cup semi-final win over England, though one of those sanctions was suspended.
- Midfielders Leandro Paredes (10-game ban) and Nahuel Molina (7-match ban) are suspended for on-field clashes during Argentina's World Cup final defeat by Spain and are not expected to be available for the Benin farewell.
Why it matters: The October 6 match at River Plate's Estadio Monumental gives Messi a home-soil sendoff after a 207-appearance international career, with up to 85,000 fans and the 2022 World Cup-winning squad invited for the occasion. The clash comes sandwiched between the suspended FIFA stadium-capacity sanction and a run of friendlies that should absorb the penalty before the farewell game, preserving maximum-crowd conditions.
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