A few weeks ago, World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi bid adieu to international soccer. After representing his country for almost 207 games, Messi is now all set to don the Argentina jersey for one final time.
Messi, 39, is now scheduled to play his final international match against West African nation Benin on Oct. 6, 2026. Just weeks ahead of the much-awaited match, Adidas recently paid its special tribute to the legend and released a special edition golden Messi retirement jersey.
Recently, tickets for Messi’s final match were sold out in less than two hours as fans rushed to secure their spot at Buenos Aires’ Monumental Stadium in Argentina. While TNT Sports Argentina reported that tickets were sold out within two hours, 433 on social media reported that the tickets were sold out within four minutes. As per reports, sales for the tickets began at 18:00 on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, and were wrapped up by 20:00.
Article Continues Below¡TODO AGOTADO PARA EL ÚLTIMO PARTIDO DEL 10! 🇦🇷🎟️
En menos de 2 horas, los fanáticos arrasaron con los tickets para la despedida de LIONEL MESSI de la SELECCIÓN ARGENTINA y el Monumental lucirá lleno en el amistoso contra Benín.
🔟 Será el próximo 6 de octubre y el capitán dirá… pic.twitter.com/wGMbtTBsNo
— TNT Sports Argentina (@TNTSportsAR) September 24, 2026
The 39-year-old Messi remains one of the most successful and decorated soccer stars in the history of the game. He will now be retiring from international soccer with a record eight Ballon d'Ors, 125 goals and 68 assists for his country. Messi's Argentina career includes the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 2021 and 2024 Copa America titles, and Olympic gold in 2008.
He is also set to retire as Argentina's top scorer and second-highest international goal scorer, only ranking behind Portuguese legend and Messi's career rival, Cristiano Ronaldo. After representing his country for almost two decades, Messi will now hang up his boots next month, in Oct. 2026. Despite his international retirement, Messi is set to continue playing club soccer.