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Lionel Messi will wear Argentina’s iconic sky blue-and-white jersey for the final time on Tuesday, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable 21-year international career.
The 39-year-old is expected to receive an emotional farewell when Argentina face Benin in a friendly at Buenos Aires’ Estadio Monumental, with about 85,000 supporters set to fill the stadium for one final glimpse of the country’s most celebrated footballer.
Millions more are expected to follow the match on television as Argentina say goodbye to their record appearance-maker, record goalscorer and one of the greatest players in football history.
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Messi announced his international retirement in August, two and a half months after Argentina lost the World Cup final to Spain.
“I gave it my all; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are great young players coming up who deserve their chance,” Messi said when confirming his decision.
On Monday, he completed his final training session with the national team at the Argentina Football Association complex in Ezeiza that bears his name. For supporters, the occasion represents the end of an era. Messi made his senior Argentina debut in 2005 and went on to score 125 goals and provide 68 assists in 207 appearances.
His defining achievement came at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he inspired Argentina to their first global title in 36 years and cemented his status alongside Diego Maradona in the country’s football history.
Messi also helped Argentina win the Copa America in 2021 and 2024, the 2022 Finalissima and Olympic gold in 2008. His international career also featured painful defeats, including the 2014 World Cup final against Germany and the 2016 Copa America final against Chile.
Argentina are already preparing for life without their long-time captain. Cristian Romero is expected to inherit the captain’s armband, while players including Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez are set to form the core of the next generation.
Coach Lionel Scaloni has acknowledged the challenge of replacing Messi, describing the task as filling a significant “void”.
Young talents Franco Mastantuono and Gianluca Prestianni have already offered encouragement after scoring their first international goals in Argentina’s recent 7-0 win over Burkina Faso.
One question, however, remains unanswered: who will inherit Messi’s famous number 10 shirt?
“Until Leo’s game, we won’t give the number 10 to anyone,” Scaloni said. “After that, we’ll see.”
For now, the shirt still belongs to Messi, and Tuesday will offer Argentina one final opportunity to celebrate the man who defined an era.
