Argentina name Lionel Messi in squad for October farewell against Benin

Argentina have officially called up Lionel Messi for their friendly against Benin on 6 October at the Monumental, giving the captain the chance to say goodbye to supporters on home soil after announcing his international retirement on 31 August.

The match at River Plate’s stadium will include a special celebration, with the players who helped Messi lead Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar also set to take part.

Messi is among a 28-man squad named for three forthcoming fixtures. Argentina begin with a match against Bolivia in Cordoba on 30 September, before facing Burkina Faso at the Monumental on 3 October. The meeting with Benin will then complete the schedule at the same venue on 6 October.

The squad also includes the return of Franco Mastantuono, who is on loan from Real Madrid at Fiorentina, and Villarreal defender Juan Foyth.

Gianluca Prestianni of Benfica, Matias Soule and Santiago Castro of Roma, Romain Vega of Zenit and Agustin Giay of Palmeiras are among the new selections. The players had previously featured during the final stage of Argentina’s camp before the most recent World Cup.

The Argentine Football Association said Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso would be involved in the final friendly, while the coaching staff will announce the players selected from the domestic league next Friday.

“Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso will be present to take part in the final friendly on 6 October,” the association said in an official statement. “The coaching staff will announce the names of the players called up from the domestic league next Friday.”

Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association, confirmed Messi’s involvement in a video released by the organisation.

“To all Argentina supporters, I would like to inform you that, after a conversation with the head coach of the senior national team, Lionel Scaloni, we decided to invite the best player in the world, the symbol of our national team and our captain, Lionel Andres Messi,” Tapia said.

“He will receive the tribute and farewell he truly deserves on 6 October here in Argentina.”