Argentina’s Football Association confirmed that despite announcing his international retirement last month, Lionel Messi has been called up for a farewell appearance at home in October.
AFA President Claudio Tapia announced that Messi will face Benin on Oct. 6 in the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, providing fans with a chance to pay tribute to the captain and one of Argentina’s most decorated footballers.
At the end of the day, we invited the best player in the world to play, the icon of our selection, our captain Lionel Andres Messi, to have a deserved farewell here in Argentina on October 6, Tapia wrote on social media. Messi’s offer is just a few days after his announcement to pull back from international football. His comeback for the October game, therefore, would be a symbolic finale in front of Argentine fans at the stadium.
Argentina will face three friendly home matches this September 21 to October 6 FIFA international window. The matches will be the team’s first games since the World Cup.
Throughout his international career, Messi has consistently excelled in tournaments, such as Argentina’s 2022 World Cup victory. He also led the national team to Copa America victories and was a pivotal player in one of Argentina’s most successful eras in football. The match against Benin is now likely to assume a special meaning, and the AFA considers it to be a chance for them to pay tribute to Messi’s services to the national team.
Tapia’s announcement also opens the possibility for Messi to play his last game in Argentina’s colours, given that he announced his retirement from international football last week. The Oct. 6 clash at the Monumental may be a sentimental goodbye to a player who has played for the national team over the past 11 years and has been a symbol of the team’s modern era for Argentine fans.
