Goodbye, Leo: Messi set for Last Argentina Appearance vs Benin
Last update: October 6, 2026
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85,000 fans. One last dance in sky blue-and-white. After 21 years, 207 caps and a World Cup that healed a nation, Lionel Messi is about to say goodbye to Argentina.
In a moment almost too poetic to script, Lionel Messi will pull on Argentina’s famous sky blue-and-white shirt for the very last time on Tuesday night — and where else but the Monumental.
It’s the end of an era. No, scratch that. It’s the end of the era.
It’s been coming. Messi, Argentina’s most-capped player ever and all-time top scorer with 125 goals and 68 assists in 207 games, announced his international retirement back in August — just two-and-a-half months after that heartbreaking World Cup final defeat to Spain.
His statement was pure Messi — humble and to the point: “I gave it my all; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are great young players coming up who deserve their chance.”
No effort has been spared for the send-off. This is a player widely regarded as one of the greatest to ever kick a ball, after all.
For fans like Nahuel Nieva, a retail worker who bunked off work on Monday just to watch Messi train one last time, it’s deeply personal.
“You can’t ask for more, that’s it,” he told the media at Ezeiza. And you get it, don’t you? For a whole generation of Argentines, Messi wasn’t just a footballer — he was the kid who finally delivered what even Maradona couldn’t repeat.
There’s a rawer layer too. Messi remains contracted to Inter Miami until 2028, but after the death of his father and longtime adviser Jorge two months ago, he’s hinted he could hang up his boots altogether sooner than planned. Tuesday won’t just be a farewell to Argentina. It might be the beginning of the final goodbye to football itself.
Why This Hits So Hard?
To understand why this matters, you have to go back.
When Messi made his senior debut in 2005 — against Hungary, sent off after 47 seconds, remember? — some of the kids now replacing him weren’t even born. Since then:
* 2005: World Youth Champion
* 2008: Olympic Gold in Beijing
* 2014: Tears in Brazil after losing the World Cup final to Germany
* 2016: That devastating Copa America final loss to Chile, when Messi briefly retired
* 2021 & 2024: Copa America glory at last
* 2022: The big one — Finalissima and then Qatar, ending Argentina’s 36-year World Cup drought and finally, finally putting him shoulder-to-shoulder with Diego Maradona in the nation’s folklore
* 2026: A last, painful final — a tired Argentina outplayed by Spain, a game that ended in indiscipline, bans and fines
He leaves as La Pulga — The Flea — with numbers no Argentine may ever touch again. 207 caps. 125 goals. The eternal number 10.
Which brings us to the big question: who gets the 10 next?
“Until Leo’s game, we won’t give the number 10 to anyone,” coach Lionel Scaloni said. “After that, we’ll see.” No pressure then.
Why It Matters?
This is more than a friendly against Benin. This is Argentina officially turning the page.
Scaloni has spoken openly about trying to fill the “void” left by his talismanic captain. And here’s the thing — the early signs are actually brilliant.
In their first two games since the World Cup final last week, without Messi, Argentina thrashed Bolivia 4-0 in Cordoba, then hammered Burkina Faso 7-0 at the Monumental. Two of the country’s brightest sparks, Franco Mastantuono and Gianluca Prestianni, both scored their first senior international goals in that romp.
The message is clear: the kids are alright. But Tuesday is still about saying thank you.
What’s Next?
After the Benin farewell, Argentina begin life properly without Messi. The armband goes to Romero, the number 10 will eventually be reassigned, and the focus shifts to rebuilding for the 2030 World Cup cycle.
For Messi? Inter Miami for now, with whispers he may walk away from the professional game entirely earlier than his 2028 contract suggests.
One last night at the Monumental. One last mazy dribble. One last roar.
Gracias, Leo.
Source: cbinews.tv
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