Argentina prepares to say final farewells to superstar Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi celebrates with the winner's trophy after Argentina win over France in the FIFA World Cup Final in Lusail, Qatar in December 2022. | AFP-JIJI
Oct 5, 2026
When Lionel Messi makes his final appearance for Argentina on Tuesday, it will bring to an end a journey that began with the country’s soccer authorities not even knowing his name and evolved into one of the most enduring relationships in sports history.
The farewell against Benin at Buenos Aires’ Monumental stadium ends an international career spanning more than two decades, which began with Argentina scrambling to identify a teenage prodigy developing far from home.
“He went through so many moments that they’re really very different eras,” said Argentine journalist and author Sergio Levinsky, who wrote “Messi and Everything Else.“
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