Messi readies for final farewell in Argentina send-off

Lionel Messi, Argentina's record appearance-maker and leading scorer, will bid farewell to international football in a friendly match against Benin on Tuesday. The 39-year-old superstar, who played for Argentina for over two decades, will wear the Albiceleste jersey for the final time at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. Messi will be joined by 85,000 spectators and several of his teammates who won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The friendly marks a symbolic passing of the torch as Messi will soon hand over the captain's armband to the next generation of Argentinian footballers. Messi's farewell comes two and a half months after Argentina's World Cup final defeat to Spain, where the superstar made little impact and later announced his international retirement.

Despite his age, Messi remains under contract with Inter Miami until 2028. However, he may choose to retire sooner following his father's death. The new generation of Argentine footballers, including Franco Mastantuono, Leonel Flores, and Cristian Romero, will be there to support Messi in his final match. Argentina's coach, Lionel Scaloni, believes that the team can fill the void left by Messi and aims to build a strong team around him.