Footballing legend Lionel Messi is set to feature in his final international match for Argentina when they face Benin in a friendly in Buenos Aires on Tuesday.
Messi announced his retirement on August 31, almost a month and a half after Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in the FIFA World Cup final 2026.
Messi has featured in 207 matches for Argentina – the most appearances in the country's history – while topping its goalscoring chart with 125 goals.
Background
Considered to be one of the sport's greats, Messi first featured for Argentina in 2005 at the age of 18.
He led the team to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, ending a 36-year wait for the South American nation to win its third trophy.
He also captained Argentina to two Copa América titles, and the Finalissima – a match between the European champions and South American champions – in 2022.
Retirement
Messi announced his retirement on August 31, in an Instagram post showing a handwritten note in Spanish.
"I wrote these words on July 21st, two days after the final. Today, after what happened with my dad, I am even more convinced than before," an English translation of the note said.
Messi's father, Jorge, died on August 8 at the age of 68, at a hospital in the Argentine city of Rosario.
Other accolades
Despite experiencing international heartbreak earlier in his career, Messi's achievements at club and national level are paralleled by few.
Having led Argentina into the finals of the 2014 World Cup, the 2015 Copa América, and the 2016 Copa América Centenario, and losing all three, Messi briefly retired from international football in 2016.
He returned soon after though, to take Argentina to back-to-back continental championships (Copa América) in 2021 and 2024.
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