Argentina to face Benin in Messi’s farewell friendly at Estadio Monumental

Argentina will play Benin in an international friendly at the Estadio Monumental on October 6, 2026, staged as Lionel Messi’s farewell for the national team. The fixture arrives with live pre-match attention focused on Messi’s final involvement for La Albiceleste.

Argentina enter the match on the back of a 7-0 friendly win over Burkina Faso, a game in which Lionel Scaloni’s men controlled the majority of the match and were lethal in the final third. The hosts return to the Estadio Monumental, and Messi, aged 39, is set to join the squad for training ahead of what the report describes as his final game in the national shirt. Messi has scored 125 goals in 207 games for La Albiceleste and is the second-highest goal scorer in international football.

Benin, nicknamed the Cheetahs, arrive having produced decent form in their last three matches and most recently recorded a 2-1 victory against Mauritania in an AFCON qualifier. In that win Benin built a two-goal lead but a defensive error prevented them from keeping a clean sheet. The 2-1 scoreline against Mauritania is the Cheetahs’ latest result entering the friendly.

The Benin side is led by coach Gernot Rohr and will face the challenge of playing away against Argentina. Rodolfo Aloko will be a player to watch for Benin after scoring a sensational brace in the 2-1 win over Mauritania. The 19-year-old is expected to be deployed on the left flank for the Cheetahs.

Argentina will look to extend their winning run in the friendly, with Messi set to play an important role in the attacking front for the final time for his nation. Benin’s recent positive results give them momentum, but the match will test their ability to perform away from home.

Argentina will aim to build on the momentum from their 7-0 win over Burkina Faso and extend their run of form; Benin will travel as the visiting side seeking to reproduce the performance that delivered their 2-1 victory over Mauritania.