The curtain comes down on the greatest international career of them all on Tuesday night, as Lionel Messi pulls on the Argentina shirt for the 208th and final time in a sold-out farewell friendly against Benin at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
After more than two decades of service to the Albiceleste, the 39-year-old announced his international retirement in late August, roughly two and a half months after Argentina's World Cup final defeat to Spain in New Jersey left him in tears. The Argentina Football Association has arranged one final night under the lights in his homeland so the captain can say goodbye properly — and an entire nation is expected to be watching.
The Last Tango at the Monumental
Kickoff against Benin is set for 7pm ET at River Plate's iconic stadium, where around 85,000 fans will pack the stands for what is being dubbed 'The Last Tango'. The AFA has planned a spectacle to match the occasion: a pre-match concert for supporters arriving early, the national anthem sung by Malvinas War veteran Fabio Santana, and over 1,000 police officers deployed in security rings around the stadium with road closures in place across Núñez.
Members of the 2022 World Cup-winning squad have been invited to attend alongside Argentina's emerging generation, and a special post-match ceremony is planned. Messi will receive a golden-numbered shirt and a plaque, plus gifts from AFA president Claudio Tapia and CONMEBOL chief Alejandro Domínguez, before a drone show, pyrotechnics and a light display close out the night. Argentina will also wear a special-edition Adidas kit designed for the occasion — the traditional stripes widened to mirror the national flag, with gold accents and a Sun of May inspiration, and Messi's own logo replacing the usual badge.
Numbers that may never be matched
When Messi leads the side out tonight it will be his 208th and final senior appearance for Argentina, extending his records as the country's most-capped player and all-time leading scorer with 125 goals and 68 assists. He dragged the Albiceleste to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar, back-to-back Copa América triumphs in 2021 and 2024, and the Finalissima crown — and then carried them to another World Cup final in 2026 before bowing out.
Fittingly, Benin are one of the few sides Messi has never scored against. The West Africans, ranked 89th in the world and coached by former Nigeria boss Gernot Rohr, arrive in decent form after drawing with Burkina Faso and beating Mauritania in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. With Messi having found the net against 44 different nations, a farewell goal would make Benin number 45.
Only Cristiano Ronaldo's 146 international goals stand above Messi's 125 in the men's all-time charts, and this week Harry Kane became the latest name to join the exclusive 90-goal international club — a group Messi has headlined for years.
What next for the GOAT?
Messi remains under contract with Inter Miami until 2028 and is in contention for a third straight MLS MVP award, but the future beyond that is uncertain. After the death of his father Jorge two months ago, he admitted he could hang up his boots sooner than expected. For now, though, the focus is simply on saying goodbye.
His own message ahead of the night said everything: 'I leave in peace. I gave everything.' Outside the Monumental, fans queued for hours just to be close. Nineteen-year-old José Garracedo told Reuters he cried coming to see Messi's last game, while medical student Isaías Zenas said it best: 'The last joys we have had as an Argentine people, we owe to him.'
The torch-passing has already begun — Argentina swept Bolivia aside 4-0 last week with young talents like Nico Paz and José Manuel López among the scorers, and followed it with a 7-0 demolition of Burkina Faso. One small question lingers: who inherits the number 10?
Beyond the Final Whistle: From a teenage debut against Hungary in 2005 to World Cup glory and a tearful last dance 21 years later, Lionel Messi gave Argentina everything — 207 caps, 125 goals and a lifetime of joy for a nation that needed it. Tonight, the Monumental finally gets to say thank you. What is your favourite Messi moment in the Argentina shirt? Tell us in the comments.
