Neymar thanks Messi ahead of reported Argentina farewell

Neymar paid tribute to Lionel Messi ahead of the Argentina captain’s reported farewell appearance for the national team, thanking him for inspiring a deeper love of football and for the years of shared competition and success. Reports described Argentina’s match against Benin in Buenos Aires as scheduled for Tuesday, October 6, but did not confirm that it took place or provide a result. In a message attributed to an Instagram post, Neymar said that people who love football had enjoyed watching Messi over the years. He wished Messi well for his final game in Argentina’s shirt and hoped he would enjoy the occasion and its tributes. Neymar also said the world thanked Messi for what he had contributed to football, adding that playing alongside him had been an honour. The reports presented the match as a farewell for Messi, who had announced his retirement from international football. However, the supplied accounts do not establish the fixture’s outcome or independently confirm that the planned appearance occurred. The reported farewell should therefore be understood as the event anticipated in the coverage, not a verified post-match account.