Lionel Messi to play final match for Argentina against Benin on October 6 | OneFootball

Lionel Scaloni has confirmed that Lionel Messi will make his final Argentina appearance in a friendly against Benin on the sixth of October.

According to Goal.com, the 39-year-old will pull on the blue and white for the last time at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.

Messi announced his international retirement in late August, and the occasion is set to allow supporters to salute their captain before he steps away from the national side.

Scaloni said he pushed for the farewell to fall in this international window so he could be on the touchline. He believes it should happen now while the feeling is strongest, and because Messi wanted to say goodbye among his own people.

The Inter Miami forward ends his international career as Argentina’s record scorer with 125 goals, a tally that could still rise during this international break. He featured at his sixth World Cup, scoring eight times in eight appearances, and Scaloni has called coaching him the ultimate experience, describing him as unmatched and the outstanding choice for any best player award while he remains on the pitch.

Before the Benin send-off, Argentina face Bolivia in Córdoba on 30 September, then host Burkina Faso on the third of October. The fixtures begin a transition, with Scaloni shaping the future following the high-profile retirements of Messi and veteran defender Nicolas Otamendi.

Source: Goal.com

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