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Messi to retire from Argentina after Oct. 6 farewell

By Drooid · Sep 23, 2026, 11:10 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Messi Retires

Lionel Messi will retire from Argentina’s national team and play a farewell friendly on Oct. 6 against Benin in Buenos Aires.
AFA president Claudio Tapia said the Oct. 6 match will be “the farewell he deserves.”
Argentina called up 14 players aged 23 or younger, including Nico Paz and Gianluca Prestianni, for the friendlies.
Coach Lionel Scaloni, in charge since 2018, is reportedly considering a move to club management.

Summary

Messi Ticket Sales

Ticket sales for Messi's farewell start on Sept 22 range from $59 to $317, with demand projected in the millions.
Adidas released a custom Argentina jersey featuring Messi’s gold “M” logo, three wide stripes and a sun-burst motif.
Messi will play for Inter Miami against Columbus Crew on Sept 27 before traveling to Buenos Aires for his farewell.

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Messi Retires

Lionel Messi will retire from Argentina’s national team and play a farewell friendly on Oct. 6 against Benin in Buenos Aires.
AFA president Claudio Tapia said the Oct. 6 match will be “the farewell he deserves.”
Argentina called up 14 players aged 23 or younger, including Nico Paz and Gianluca Prestianni, for the friendlies.
Coach Lionel Scaloni, in charge since 2018, is reportedly considering a move to club management.

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