Overview
- The Argentine Football Association included Lionel Messi in a 28‑man roster and announced on Tuesday, Sept. 15 that he has accepted an invitation to a farewell match on Oct. 6 at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental.
- The AFA said Messi will join the squad only for the Benin friendly and has invited Argentina’s 2022 World Cup winners and their families to attend the Monumental celebration.
- Argentina will play three friendlies in the international window: Bolivia on Sept. 30 in Córdoba, Burkina Faso on Oct. 3 at the Monumental, and Benin on Oct. 6 at the Monumental with the Oct. 6 game designated as Messi’s final Argentina appearance.
- FIFA disciplinary actions remain in force: the Bolivia match will be held at 50% capacity under a FIFA sanction and players Leandro Paredes, Nahuel Molina and Thiago Almada are serving multi‑match bans of 10, seven and one games respectively.
- Coach Lionel Scaloni’s contract expires in December and his future is uncertain, leaving Argentina to balance a ceremonial send‑off with an immediate period of squad transition and leadership decisions.