Lionel Messi unveils ‘GOAT’ shirt for final Argentina appearance

Lionel Messi will play his final international match for Argentina wearing a specially designed shirt when the 39-year-old forward faces Benin on 6 October.

The farewell fixture will take place at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental, with Messi himself revealing the one-off kit on Instagram.

Argentina’s traditional sky blue and white remain the shirt’s main colours, while several additional details have been included for the occasion. The Sol de Mayo features in the design and the lettering is finished in gold.

The most distinctive feature appears on Messi’s famous number 10. Two horns have been added as a reference to “GOAT” - an acronym for Greatest of All Time.

“The last match, one last time on the pitch in a shirt for life,” Messi wrote while presenting the kit.

The shirt has been created for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s final appearance in Argentina colours, following his announcement at the end of August that he would bring his international career to a close.

Argentina will also play Bolivia and Burkina Faso in October before Messi’s farewell against Benin on home soil.

The 2022 World Cup winner has made 207 appearances for Argentina to date.