Messi named in Argentina squad for farewell friendly against Benin

Argentina have named Lionel Messi in their squad for a friendly against Benin in October, a match set to be the forward's farewell to international football.

Messi announced his retirement from Argentina duty in August following his country's defeat by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, and after saying he was considering his future in football after the death of his father, Jorge.

The 39-year-old, who captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title, said the decision to stop playing for La Albiceleste hurt him "deeply" but that he had "given it my all" and had "nothing left to give".

Messi, an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner who plays for Inter Miami, is Argentina's all-time leading scorer and most-capped player, with 125 goals in 207 appearances.

"We made the decision to invite the best player in the world, the symbol of our national team, our captain, Lionel Andres Messi, so that he can have the farewell he truly deserves on 6 October here in Argentina," said Argentine FA president Claudio Tapia.

River Plate's Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, which has an 85,000 capacity, will host the game against Benin.

Argentina's 2022 World Cup winners have also been invited to the match, which Tapia said would be an "unforgettable" occasion.

Argentina were ordered to play their next two home matches at 50% capacity, with one match of that sanction suspended, for breaches of the Fifa disciplinary code during the World Cup.

The punishment related to using a sports event for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature, team misconduct, and discriminatory chants and gestures by its supporters.

After defeating England 2-1 in the World Cup semi-final, several Argentina players held up a banner claiming Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory.

With friendlies against Bolivia on 30 September in Cordoba and Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on 3 October, the punishment should have been served before the Benin game.

Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes and team-mate Nahuel Molina are not expected to be available, having been given respective 10-game and seven-match suspensions for their part in on-field clashes after their country's defeat by Spain in the World Cup final.

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