Buenos Aires, Sep 16 (V7N)- Lionel Messi is set to make his final appearance for Argentina in a friendly against Benin on October 6, bringing an emotional close to his international career.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has invited the 39-year-old superstar to play in the farewell match at Buenos Aires' Estadio Monumental. AFA president Claudio Tapia said the organization wanted Messi, described by him as the symbol and captain of the national team, to receive the farewell he deserves on Argentine soil.

Messi announced his retirement from international football on August 31, following Argentina's 1-0 defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. He said the decision was painful but that he believed the time had come to end his national-team career.

The Rosario-born forward is Argentina's all-time leading scorer and most-capped player, with 125 goals in 207 appearances since making his senior debut in 2005. He led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title and also won the Copa América in 2021 and 2024.

The match against Benin will be the final fixture in a series of three friendlies for Argentina. The team will first face Bolivia in Córdoba on September 30 before meeting Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on October 3. Messi is not expected to play in those two matches.

The Monumental, home of River Plate, can accommodate around 85,000 spectators. Tapia has also invited members of Argentina's 2022 World Cup-winning squad to attend the occasion, describing the planned farewell as an unforgettable event.

Argentina's upcoming friendlies also come amid disciplinary sanctions imposed after incidents surrounding the 2026 World Cup. FIFA ordered the team to play a home match with its stadium capacity reduced by 50 percent following breaches of its disciplinary code, including a non-sporting demonstration during the tournament.

Several players also received suspensions following the World Cup final defeat by Spain. Leandro Paredes was handed a 10-match ban, while Nahuel Molina received a seven-match suspension and Thiago Almada a one-match ban.

Messi's final appearance against Benin is expected to mark the end of a more than two-decade international career in which he became Argentina's record goalscorer and appearance holder and lifted the country's first World Cup since 1986.

END/SMA/AJ