Lionel Messi to wear special Argentina shirt for international farewell

Lionel Messi will wear a specially designed Argentina shirt when he plays his final international match against Benin on 6 October.

The 39-year-old forward will say goodbye to the national team at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental, having revealed the one-off kit on Instagram.

Argentina’s traditional sky blue and white remain the shirt’s main colours, while several details have been added for Messi’s farewell. The Sol de Mayo features in the design and the lettering is gold.

The most distinctive element is the number 10 on the back. It includes two horns as a reference to GOAT – an acronym for Greatest of All Time.

“The last match, one last time on the pitch wearing a shirt for life,” Messi wrote while unveiling the kit.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner announced at the end of August that he would bring his international career to a close.

Argentina will also face Bolivia and Burkina Faso in October before Messi’s final appearance against Benin on home soil.

The 2022 World Cup winner has made 207 appearances for Argentina to date.