{
  "id": 9724744,
  "title": "Tickets sold out in less than two hours for Lionel Messi's final Argentina match",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/tickets-sold-out-in-less-than-two-hours-for-lionel-messis-final",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-25T07:16:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/sport/tickets-sold-out-in-less-than-two-hours-for-lionel-messis-final-argentina-match-1.500687395"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a matter of under two hours, tickets for Lionel Messi's final match with Argentina sold out completely for the October 6 friendly against Benin at Buenos Aires' Monumental Stadium. According to TNT Sports Argentina, every single one of the 85,018 tickets were claimed following the opening of sales on Thursday. The match is set to take place at 8pm local time in Argentina, which translates to a 3am kick-off on October 7 in the UAE. Messi, who will be wearing a specially designed Argentina jersey featuring gold details on his name and iconic No.10, has expressed his excitement for the farewell match, stating: \"One last match. A jersey for a lifetime.\" Throughout his Argentina career, Messi has been a consistent performer, claiming multiple titles including the 2022 FIFA World Cup and Copa America in both 2021 and 2024. He has scored a remarkable 125 goals and provided 68 assists in 207 appearances for his country, making him Argentina's all-time top scorer and only trailing Cristiano Ronaldo in international goals and assists. Following his retirement, Messi will continue to be in the spotlight after being named among the 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, an award ceremony scheduled to take place in London on October 26.",
  "summary": "Dubai: Tickets for Lionel Messi ’s final match for Argentina sold out in less than two hours as fans rushed to secure a place for his farewell against Benin at Buenos Aires’ Monumental Stadium in Argentina. According to TNT Sports Argentina, all 85,018 tickets were snapped up after sales opened on Thursday. The October 6 friendly will give Messi the chance to say goodbye to Argentina supporters…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Post Nigeria",
        "title": "Retirement: How I convinced Messi to return to play for Argentina – Scaloni",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/retirement-how-i-convinced-messi-to-return-to-play-for-argentina",
        "published": "2026-09-25T06:39:14.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "How I convinced Messi to return for farewell match — Scaloni",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/how-i-convinced-messi-to-return-for-farewell-match-scaloni",
        "published": "2026-09-25T09:32:40.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}