Lionel Messi recalled for one final Argentina friendly despite international retirement

In partnership with

OffsAIde

·15 September 2026

Lionel Messi will make a final Argentina appearance after being recalled by Lionel Scaloni on Tuesday evening to face Benin on six October.

The federation announced that Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso will join the squad for the final friendly.

OneFootball Videos

Messi, 39, Argentina’s record holder with 207 caps and 125 goals, is set to feature at River Plate’s Monumental.

Before Benin, Argentina will face Bolivia on 30 September and Burkina Faso on three October, both without their former captain.

He had announced his international retirement in late August, with this outing framed as a farewell.

Source: L'Équipe

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”