(Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi. Photo Credit: Punc News)
Lionel Messi will wear Argentina’s sky blue and white jersey for the last time on Tuesday in a friendly against Benin at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
About 85,000 fans will be in the stadium, and millions more will watch on TV.
The 39-year-old is ending a 21-year international career.
He announced his retirement from the national team in August, about two and a half months after Argentina lost the World Cup final to Spain.
He said he gave it his all, has nothing left to give, and that great young players deserve their chance.
On Monday, he took part in his last training session with the team at the complex named after him in Ezeiza.
Messi is still under contract with Inter Miami until 2028, but after the death of his father, Jorge, two months ago, he said he may quit football for good earlier than planned.
Several of his World Cup winning teammates will play, including Cristian Romero, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez.
Romero will take over the captain’s armband after the game.
Coach Lionel Scaloni has promised to try to fill the gap left by his captain, and the early signs are good.
Without Messi, Argentina beat Bolivia 4-0 on Wednesday and then thrashed Burkina Faso 7-0 on Saturday.
Franco Mastantuono and Gianluca Prestianni both scored their first international goals in that win.
Messi is Argentina’s most capped player and top scorer, with 125 goals in 207 games and a record 68 assists.
He ended the country’s 36-year wait for a World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and won the Copa America in 2021 and 2024, the 2022 Finalissima, the 2008 Olympic title and the 2005 World Youth Championship.
He also had painful days, including the 2014 World Cup final loss to Germany, the 2016 Copa America final defeat to Chile and this year’s final loss to Spain.
One question is still open: who gets the number 10 shirt? Scaloni said no one will have it until Messi’s game is over, and after that, they will see.
