Lionel Messi farewell match — Argentina v Benin live

Lionel Messi was at his farewell match for Argentina against Benin on 6 October 2026, a fixture the live coverage said kicked off at 7pm ET.

The Guardian's live updates reported “tears on the bus ride to the stadium” and “tears during warmups” for Messi, and recalled earlier instances of tears in 2016, in 2022 and at the 2026 World Cup.