Lionel Messi set for Argentina farewell after final training session

Lionel Messi has completed his final training session with Argentina before making his last appearance for the national team following his decision to retire from international football.

Messi will play his farewell match against Benin in a friendly in the early hours of Wednesday.

The 39-year-old shared photographs from the session on his personal Instagram account, writing: “Special moments… I know I will miss them.”

Messi also revealed the shirt he will wear for his final Argentina appearance. The jersey was produced in collaboration with German sportswear company Adidas.

“The last match… a shirt for life,” Messi said in a second Instagram post.

The Argentine Football Association intends to honour Messi in front of the country’s supporters after his long international career.

Association president Claudio Tapia said: “We invited Messi to attend a farewell ceremony worthy of him on 7 October here in Argentina.”

He added: “We are also inviting all the national team players who won the World Cup in Qatar, along with their families, to join him in a match that will be unforgettable for all the national team fans.”

Messi announced his decision to end his international career several weeks ago. The source article says he decided to retire after Argentina’s defeat in the 2026 World Cup final, but revealed the decision days later following the death of his father several weeks earlier.

His international career began in 2005 and lasted for more than 20 years.

Messi has made 207 appearances for Argentina, scoring 125 goals. He led the team to World Cup glory in 2022 and finished runners-up in 2014 and 2026.

He also won the Copa America twice with Argentina, in 2021 and 2024.

The final match against Benin will bring an end to a period in which Messi became Argentina’s record goalscorer and accumulated more than two decades of service for the national team.

His last training session prompted him to reflect on the moments he had shared with Argentina, while the farewell shirt unveiled with Adidas will mark the occasion as his final appearance in the country’s colours.