Lionel Messi called up by Argentina to make farewell appearance following international retirement

Lionel Messi has been invited by Argentina to make a farewell appearance in a home friendly in October following his international retirement, Argentine Football Association (AFA) president Claudio Tapia confirmed on Sept 15.

“We invited the best player in the world to play, the icon of our selection, our captain Lionel Andres Messi, to have a deserved farewell on October 6, here in Argentina,” Tapia said on social media.

Argentina will play three home friendlies during the Sept 21-Oct 6 FIFA international window, their first matches since the World Cup.

They will take on Benin in Buenos Aires’ Monumental Stadium on Oct 6, where Messi, who announced his retirement from international football in August, has been invited to play his farewell match.

Argentina will also face Bolivia at Cordoba’s Mario Kempes Stadium on Sept 30 before moving to Buenos Aires to host Burkina Faso on Oct 3.

The Bolivia match will be played with capacity reduced by 50 per cent as part of FIFA sanctions relating to incidents during the 2026 World Cup.

Leandro Paredes, Nahuel Molina and Thiago Almada must serve suspensions of 10, seven and one match respectively for their roles in an altercation during the World Cup final against Spain. REUTERS