Overview
- The friendly against Benin is set for Tuesday, October 6, with kickoff at 7:00 p.m. ET and live coverage on Telefe, Globoplay, ViX in the US, and Premier Sports in the UK.
- Argentina arrive in strong scoring form after warm-up wins and plan a near full-strength lineup while missing Giovani Lo Celso, Thiago Almada, and Nicolás Tagliafico through injury.
- Benin, ranked about 93rd in the world and meeting Argentina for the first time, are heavy underdogs whose preparations were reported to include complaints about commercial flights and under‑equipped hotel rooms according to journalist Romain Molina.
- The fixture doubles as a ceremonial farewell for Messi — who will earn his 208th cap with 125 international goals reported in coverage — and as a staged occasion to celebrate his career in front of a Buenos Aires crowd.
- Coaches will use the match to try younger players such as Gianluca Prestianni and Nico Paz and observers should watch lineups for early signals about Argentina’s post‑Messi selection and tactical direction.