Argentina captain Lionel Messi will wear the national team’s famous sky blue-and-white jersey for the final time on Tuesday when the world champions face Benin in an international friendly at Buenos Aires’ Estadio Monumental.
About 85,000 fans are expected at the Monumental to witness the farewell of the 39-year-old forward, with millions more set to follow the occasion from around the world.
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The match marks the end of an extraordinary international career in which Messi became Argentina’s most-capped player and leading goalscorer.
Messi announced his decision to retire from international football in August, saying he had given everything he could and that a new generation of players deserved their opportunity.
“I gave it my all; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are great young players coming up who deserve their chance,” Messi wrote at the time.
He took part in his final training session with the Argentina squad on Monday at the training complex named after him in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires.
The farewell comes just two-and-a-half months after Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the World Cup final, a result that ended the team’s latest campaign with disappointment after an otherwise remarkable period under coach Lionel Scaloni.
Filling the void
Argentina have already begun preparing for life after their iconic No. 10.
Several members of the team that reached the pinnacle of international football with Messi will remain central to the next generation, including Cristian “Cuti” Romero, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez.
Romero is expected to take over the captain’s armband after Messi’s departure.
Scaloni has acknowledged the challenge of replacing a player whose influence on Argentine football has stretched across more than two decades.
The transition has already produced encouraging signs, with Argentina recording convincing victories in their recent matches without Messi.
Franco Mastantuono and Gianluca Prestianni, two of the country’s emerging talents, scored their first international goals in Argentina’s 7-0 victory over Burkina Faso.
The result followed a 4-0 friendly win over Bolivia in Cordoba and offered a glimpse of the depth available to Scaloni as Argentina begins the post-Messi era.
Messi’s international career has been marked by both extraordinary triumphs and painful disappointments.
He helped Argentina win the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, the 2008 Olympic football gold medal, the Copa America in 2021 and 2024, and the 2022 Finalissima.
His defining achievement came in 2022, when he inspired Argentina to their first World Cup title in 36 years in Qatar, further cementing his status as the heir to Diego Maradona in the eyes of Argentine supporters.
There were also difficult moments, including Argentina’s defeat to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final and their loss to Chile in the 2016 Copa America final.
Messi’s Argentina career ultimately produced remarkable numbers.
He leaves as the country’s record appearance-maker and all-time leading scorer, with 125 goals and 68 assists in 207 international appearances.
Who gets the No. 10 shirt?
One of the biggest questions surrounding Argentina’s post-Messi era is who will inherit the iconic No. 10 shirt.
Scaloni has said the number will remain with Messi for his final match before a decision is made on its future.
“Until Leo’s game, we won’t give the number 10 to anyone,” Scaloni said. “After that, we’ll see.”
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For Argentina, Tuesday’s friendly is therefore more than another international fixture.
It is the closing chapter of an era defined by one of the greatest players in football history.
