Argentina-Benin friendly billed as Messi’s farewell

Argentina and Benin were scheduled to meet in an international friendly on October 6, 2026, in Buenos Aires, in what a match preview described as Lionel Messi’s final game for Argentina. The fixture was set for 8 p.m. local time at Estadio Monumental and was billed as the first meeting between the two national teams. The available account was published before kickoff and does not establish whether the match took place or whether Messi played. The preview said Messi, 39, had made 208 appearances for Argentina and scored 125 goals before the scheduled match. It characterized the fixture as his international farewell, but provided no post-match result or confirmation of his participation or retirement. Those details therefore remain unverified in the material available. The scheduled kickoff was listed as 7 p.m. Eastern time in the United States and midnight British Summer Time on October 7. The preview named miTelefe in Argentina and Benin TV in Benin as free viewing options. For viewers in the United States, it listed ViX Premium with Ads; in the United Kingdom, Premier Sports; and in Australia, beIN Sports 3 and beIN Sports Connect.