Messi back in Argentina! Scaloni calls him up for Albiceleste farewell | OneFootball

Lionel Messi will wear the Argentina national team jersey again. This Tuesday, Lionel Scaloni announced his first squad list after the 2026 World Cup and surprised many by including the Rosario-born captain among the 28 players called up for the upcoming international fixtures.

The call-up comes after Messi announced his retirement from the Albiceleste, so his presence will carry special meaning: the Inter Miami forward will take part in the match that will officially mark his farewell to the national team.

Argentina is coming off a runner-up finish at the World Cup after losing the final to Spain and will now begin a new era, although it will still have one last date with one of the most important figures in its history.

Messi will only play the farewell match

The Albiceleste will have three friendlies during this international window.

The first will be against Bolivia on September 30 at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium in Córdoba.

After that, Argentina will host Burkina Faso on October 3 and will close out the FIFA window against Benin on October 6, with both matches at the Monumental Stadium.

It will be precisely against Benin that Messi will play his final match with the national team.

According to ESPN, the Inter Miami attacker will travel only to play that match, so he will not take part in the other fixtures in this squad list.

The night of October 6 will therefore have special meaning for Argentine soccer: it will be Messi’s final chapter in the Albiceleste jersey.

Scaloni keeps the World Cup core

The squad is made up mainly of players who took part in the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Among the most notable names are Emiliano Martínez, Cristian Romero, Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, Nicolás Paz, Franco Mastantuono, Julián Álvarez, and Lautaro Martínez.

There are also some players looking to establish themselves in this new era, such as Gianluca Prestianni, José Manuel López, and Santiago Castro.

The list therefore keeps much of the structure that took Argentina to the World Cup final.

Argentina’s 28 call-ups

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Midfielders

Forwards

Messi’s final match with Argentina

Messi will therefore have one last chance to say goodbye on the pitch and in front of his fans.

The Monumental will be the chosen stage for the farewell of the player who led Argentina through one of the most successful periods in its history, marked by the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima, and the 2022 World Cup, in addition to his participation in the 2026 World Cup.

Now, after announcing his international retirement, Messi will return to the Albiceleste only to play the match that will bring his story with the national team to an end.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.