Lionel Messi is set to bring an emotional end to his remarkable international career with Argentina as the football icon prepares to wear the famous sky-blue-and-white jersey for the final time.
The 39-year-old superstar will make his final appearance for the Albiceleste on Tuesday when Argentina face Benin in a farewell friendly at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
Around 85,000 fans are expected to fill the stadium for what promises to be an emotional farewell to a player who has spent more than two decades representing his country...READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
Messi announced his retirement from international football after Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. He said he had given everything he could to the national team and believed the time had come to make way for a younger generation.
His final appearance will mark the conclusion of a 21-year journey that transformed him from a young prospect facing doubts over his commitment to Argentina into one of the country’s most celebrated sporting figures.
Messi made his senior debut for Argentina in 2005 and went on to become the nation’s most-capped player and all-time leading scorer.
He currently has 207 appearances, 125 goals and 68 assists for Argentina, records that underline the extraordinary scale of his contribution to the national team.
But Messi’s legacy is about much more than statistics.
For years, he endured intense criticism from Argentine supporters who believed he failed to reproduce his extraordinary Barcelona form whenever he wore the national jersey.
The criticism reached its peak after Argentina suffered several painful defeats in major finals.
Messi eventually stepped away from international football briefly following Argentina’s defeat to Chile in the 2016 Copa America final.
However, the relationship between the player and the Argentine public gradually changed.
Under coach Lionel Scaloni, Messi found a new generation of teammates and eventually led Argentina to one of the greatest periods in the country’s football history.
Argentina won the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 Finalissima, the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2024 Copa America.
The crowning moment came in Qatar in 2022 when Messi finally lifted the World Cup after Argentina defeated France in a dramatic final.
That victory ended Argentina’s 36-year wait for the biggest prize in international football and firmly established Messi among the country’s greatest sporting legends.
His journey, however, did not end there.
Messi continued to lead Argentina into the 2026 World Cup, where the team reached the final before suffering a defeat to Spain.
The loss brought another emotional chapter to his international career, with Messi leaving the pitch visibly devastated after the final.
Now, his farewell against Benin represents a different kind of moment.
Rather than competing for another trophy, Messi will walk onto the Monumental pitch to say goodbye to the supporters who have followed his extraordinary journey.
Several of his former World Cup-winning teammates are expected to be involved, including Cristian Romero, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez.
Following the farewell, Romero is expected to take over the Argentina captaincy as the national team begins preparing for life without its iconic number 10.
Coach Lionel Scaloni has acknowledged the enormous challenge facing Argentina, with Messi’s departure leaving a significant void in the team.
However, the country’s next generation has already begun showing signs that it can carry the team forward.
Young players such as Franco Mastantuono and Gianluca Prestianni have scored their first international goals, while Argentina have continued to produce convincing performances even without Messi.
The future may therefore belong to a new generation, but replacing Messi will be almost impossible.
One major question remains: who will eventually inherit Argentina’s famous number 10 shirt?
Scaloni has indicated that the shirt will not immediately be handed to another player, reflecting the special place Messi occupies in Argentine football.
From a teenager whose talent was initially overlooked by his country’s football authorities to a World Cup-winning captain adored by millions, Messi’s Argentina story has been filled with triumph, disappointment, criticism, tears and redemption.
His final appearance will therefore be more than just another international friendly.
It will mark the end of an era.
For more than 20 years, Argentina’s number 10 has carried the hopes of an entire football nation.
On Tuesday, in front of a packed Monumental, Messi will take his final bow in the colours of Argentina.
And when he walks away, one of the greatest chapters in international football will officially come to an end.
