Overview
- Lionel Messi will make a single ceremonial appearance for Argentina at Buenos Aires’ Estadio Monumental on Tuesday, Oct. 6, in a sold‑out farewell that includes a bespoke Adidas shirt and invited members of the 2022 World Cup squad.
- Coach Lionel Scaloni has acknowledged the team 'won't be the same' without Messi and is in talks to extend his own contract as he prepares to hand on on‑field leadership to veterans such as Cristian Romero and Emiliano Martínez.
- Argentina used the September–October window to test the next generation with emphatic wins of 4-0 over Bolivia and 7-0 over Burkina Faso that highlighted young players like Nicolás Paz, Franco Mastantuono and Gianluca Prestianni.
- Practical limits on the ceremony were visible as some 2022 winners were blocked from travelling by their clubs, FIFA disciplinary measures affect squad availability, and Benin’s players have said they will compete normally rather than stage a token farewell.
- Messi leaves as Argentina’s record appearance‑maker and top scorer with 125 goals and about 207–208 caps, and he will return to Inter Miami under contract through 2028 while the AFA and Scaloni plan the technical and symbolic steps that follow his exit.