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Fort Lauderdale StrikersHe posted the shirt on 22 September and will wear it exactly once. On 6 October, against Benin at the Estadio Monumental, Lionel Messi plays his 208th and final match for Argentina.
The video lasts a few seconds and does one thing. Messi lifts the 2026 World Cup shirt off its hanger, hangs it out of frame, and puts a different shirt in its place. The caption underneath runs to five words: “One last match… A jersey for a lifetime.”
The shirt he hung up is the one he will wear. Argentina meet Benin at the Estadio Monumental on Tuesday 6 October — the last of three home friendlies in this international window, and the last time the No. 10 is worn in the blue and white by the player who has defined it for two decades. Messi announced his retirement from international football in August, six weeks after Argentina lost the 2026 World Cup final to Spain in extra time.
Three friendlies, one farewell
Argentina play three matches between 30 September and 6 October — their first since the World Cup. The AFA has arranged the window so that the goodbye lands on the final night, and Messi's involvement is deliberately limited to it.
| Date | Fixture | Messi |
|---|---|---|
| Tue 30 Sep | Argentina vs Bolivia Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Córdoba | Not in the squad |
| Fri 3 Oct | Argentina vs Burkina Faso Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires | Not in the squad |
| Tue 6 Oct | Argentina vs Benin Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires | Farewell appearance |
The Córdoba opener will be played with the stadium's capacity reduced by half, part of the fallout from the scuffle that followed the World Cup final — the same incident that left Leandro Paredes, Nahuel Molina and Thiago Almada suspended.
AFA president Claudio Tapia was direct about why that third match exists. “We made the decision to invite the best player in the world, the symbol of our national team, our captain, Lionel Andrés Messi, so that he can have the farewell he truly deserves on October 6 here in Argentina,” he said. He called the occasion “the last tango of the best player in the world”.
Tickets were released on 22 September, priced between about $59 and $317. River Plate's ground holds roughly 85,000, and demand is expected to run well beyond it. This is a friendly in name only.
What the farewell shirt actually looks like
This is not a reissue of anything. The shirt breaks with the striped template Argentina have worn for most of Messi's career: the base is sky blue, with a single broad white stripe down the centre instead of the familiar run of bands. Rays drawn from the Sun of May radiate outward across the chest and back.
The detailing is gold on every edge. His name and number on the back, the AFA crest and its three stars, the trim on a black crew collar and the sleeve cuffs, a small Sun of May just below the rear collar. adidas built the shirt for a single match, which means it will be worn once and then never again.
The store's farewell edition is designed around the same idea — sky blue, the single white stripe, gold detailing — and comes in men's, women's and youth fits. You can take it with MESSI 10 printed, with a blank back, or personalised with your own name and number.
Shop the Argentina farewell shirt
Three fits, one shirt. Every card below links straight to its product page, where you can pick the printing and the size.
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The 2026 Argentina Farewell Jersey
Available with MESSI 10, blank, or your own name and number
The numbers behind the 208th cap
- 207 caps and 125 goals going into the Benin match. One more appearance takes him to 208 — no other Argentina player is close.
- 21 of those 125 goals came at World Cup tournaments.
- Three World Cup finals. Beaten by Germany in 2014, champion in 2022, beaten by Spain in extra time in 2026.
- The rest of the cabinet. Copa América in 2021 and 2024, the 2022 Finalissima, and Olympic gold in 2008.
- A debut on 17 August 2005 against Hungary, aged 18. Twenty-one years separate that afternoon from this one.
- He leaves as Argentina's most-capped player and their record scorer.
What to expect on the night
- The 2022 squad is invited. The AFA has asked every member of the World Cup-winning side, and their families, to be at the Monumental.
- Di María in the stands. Ángel Di María, who started alongside Messi in the 2022 final, has said he will be there to watch.
- Two familiar names in the squad. Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso are both in the Benin party.
- Tributes before, ceremony after. The AFA has planned a presentation before kick-off and a farewell on the pitch once the final whistle goes.
- The end of one chapter, not a career. Messi has retired from international football only. He continues to play for Inter Miami in MLS.
Related reading
More on Messi and the international calendar:
Browse the ranges this article touches:
FAQ
- When is Lionel Messi's final Argentina match?
- Tuesday 6 October 2026, against Benin at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. It will be his 208th cap.
- Will Messi play in the Bolivia or Burkina Faso friendlies?
- No. He is not in the squad for either. Argentina face Bolivia in Córdoba on 30 September and Burkina Faso at the Monumental on 3 October, and Messi joins only for the Benin match.
- What shirt will Messi wear for his last Argentina game?
- A one-off design that departs from Argentina's usual striped template: a sky-blue base with a single broad white central stripe, gold trim on the collar and cuffs, MESSI 10 in gold on the back, and rays taken from the Sun of May across the chest and back.
- How many caps and goals will Messi finish with?
- 208 caps and, going into the match, 125 international goals — both Argentina records. Twenty-one of those goals came at World Cups.
- Is Messi retiring from football completely?
- No. He has retired from international football only. He remains a player at Inter Miami in MLS, where he continues the final years of his club career.
The 2026 Argentina Farewell Jersey Messi 10 is available in men's, women's and youth fits, with MESSI 10 printing, a blank back, or your own name and number. Prices shown were correct at the time of publication.