Messi in Argentina squad for farewell friendly

Lionel Messi has been included in Argentina's squad for a farewell friendly against Benin in October. This match will be the forward's last international game, as Messi announced his retirement from Argentina duty in August. The 39-year-old, who led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup victory, cited the death of his father and his weariness with football as reasons for his decision.

Messi, a Ballon d'Or winner and Argentina's leading scorer with 125 goals in 207 appearances, said he had given his all and had nothing left to give. Argentine FA president Claudio Tapia stated that Messi would be honored with a farewell worthy of the best player in the world and the national team's symbol. The match, set to take place on 6 October at River Plate's Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, will also serve as a tribute to Argentina's 2022 World Cup champions.

Argentina had previously been penalized by FIFA for on-field misconduct during the World Cup, resulting in a 50% capacity limit for their home matches. This sanction is expected to have been served by the time of the Benin match, which will be followed by friendlies against Bolivia and Burkina Faso.