End of an era as Messi prepares to hang up Argentina boots

Lionel Messi is set to bid farewell to the Argentina national team for good on Tuesday, marking the end of a storied career. The 39-year-old will play his final match as a member of the national squad, a friendly against Benin, at Buenos Aires' Estadio Monumental in front of an anticipated 85,000 fans. This farewell game comes two and a half months after Messi announced his international retirement following Argentina's World Cup final loss to Spain.

Messi, Argentina's most capped player with 207 appearances, holds the record for the most goals with 125 and the most assists with 68. In his announcement, he acknowledged that he had given everything he had to provide for his country and expressed his belief that younger players deserved their chance to lead the team. Messi's last training session with the team was held on Monday, and he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Buenos Aires.

Several of Messi's teammates, including defender Cristian Romero, midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez, and forwards Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez, will participate in the farewell match. Following the game, Romero will take the captain's armband, and coach Lionel Scaloni expressed his intention to bolster the team with Argentina's promising young players, such as Franco Mastantuono and Gianluca Prestianni, who scored their first international goals in a recent friendly against Burkina Faso.