Lionel Messi Makes 208th and Final Argentina Appearance Against Benin
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 6
Lionel Messi Makes 208th and Final Argentina Appearance Against Benin
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 6
Summary
Lionel Messi is set to end his Argentina career in Buenos Aires, making his 208th and final international appearance in a friendly against Benin.
The 39-year-old leaves as Argentina’s record caps holder and top scorer with 125 goals, after announcing on August 31 that the time had come to step aside.
His farewell had been widely expected since Argentina’s 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, after which Messi said he wrote his retirement message two days later.
Argentina has turned the match into a national tribute, with the AFA inviting the full 2022 World Cup-winning squad and earlier ordering a 10th-minute applause across all domestic football.
Messi will continue with Inter Miami, where his post-Argentina career still carries outsized importance for MLS and soccer’s growth in the United States.