Messi set for final Argentina appearance as 85,000 prepare Monumental farewell

Lionel Messi will play his final match for Argentina against Benin at the Monumental Stadium on 6 October, bringing an end to an international career that includes a World Cup, two Copa America titles and a long list of individual records.

The 39-year-old Inter Miami forward announced his decision to retire from international football in late August, ending more than two decades with the national team.

Demand for the farewell has been huge. TNT Sports Argentina reported that all 85,000 tickets sold within two hours, with supporters keen to see Argentina’s captain make his final appearance.

The match will be Messi’s 208th cap for Argentina. He goes into it with 125 senior international goals, having become his country’s most-capped player and all-time leading scorer.

Adidas has produced a special Argentina shirt for the occasion, featuring the national colours with gold detailing. The “Sun of May”, a historic symbol from the Argentine flag that first appeared on Argentine coins in the early 1800s, is displayed on the front and back.

Messi’s personal “M” emblem replaces the Adidas logo on the chest, while his name and famous number 10 are printed in gold. His name also appears in a sun-shaped stamp on the back of the neck, with the number 10 surrounded by laurel branches. He will wear matching white and gold custom boots.

Messi’s rise to global stardom began as a teenager. His first career hat-trick came in El Clasico, with his third goal arriving after he beat several defenders before finishing in the closing moments.

On 18 April 2007, he scored one of the defining goals of his early career against Getafe in the Copa del Rey semi-final, collecting the ball inside his own half and completing a remarkable solo run.

He scored his first Champions League final goal in Barcelona’s 2009 victory over Manchester United, answering questions about his ability to perform against English opposition. He scored again against Manchester United in the 2011 final and eventually won four Champions League medals.

In the 2010 Champions League quarter-final, Messi scored all four goals in a 4-1 victory over Arsenal, completing his hat-trick by chipping goalkeeper Manuel Almunia. Two years later, he scored five times in Barcelona’s 7-1 win against Bayer Leverkusen.

Messi became Barcelona’s record scorer aged 24 when he scored a hat-trick in a 5-3 win over Granada on 20 March 2012. The second goal broke the record and the third extended it.

That year, he scored 91 goals for club and country, earning recognition in the Guinness Book of Records and winning a fourth consecutive Ballon d’Or. Barcelona won only the Copa del Rey in 2012.

In November 2014, Messi surpassed Athletic Club great Telmo Zarra’s La Liga record of 251 goals. He equalled the mark with a free-kick, broke it with his second goal and extended it with his third. He finished with 474 La Liga goals, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s 311 for Real Madrid.

On 23 April 2017, Messi scored Barcelona’s injury-time winner in a 3-2 victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. It was his 500th goal for Barcelona. He celebrated by removing his shirt and holding it towards the home crowd, displaying his name and number 10.

Messi left Barcelona on a free transfer in August 2021 after 21 years, 672 goals and 35 trophies. The club could not register his new contract because of La Liga’s salary restrictions. Despite interest from Manchester City, he joined Paris Saint-Germain before moving to Inter Miami.

For years, Messi’s international career was judged by his failure to win a major senior trophy with Argentina. That changed in 2021 when Argentina won the Copa America and Messi was named player of the tournament after scoring four goals.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar followed. Messi scored seven goals, found the net in every knockout round and was named the tournament’s best player as Argentina lifted the trophy.

He later won Ballon d’Or awards while at Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami, taking his record total to eight.

The 2026 World Cup was his final appearance at the tournament. His eight goals took his overall World Cup tally to 21, briefly making him the competition’s leading scorer before Kylian Mbappe moved ahead with 22 in the bronze medal match.

Messi’s international career has also included difficult periods. After the death of his father, Jorge, earlier this year, he spoke emotionally about his future before announcing his decision to retire.

He leaves Argentina with two Copa America titles, the 2022 World Cup and more than 900 goals for club and country. After 21 years, Messi will wear the Argentina shirt for the final time.