After losing the World Cup final, it was effectively all over for Lionel Messi. Now, however, he is in Argentina’s squad for the match against Benin. The rush for tickets for the captain’s farewell match was immense – and over in a flash.
Lionel Messi led Argentina to the World Cup title in 2022; in 2026, he and Argentina were only stopped in the final by Spain (0–1 after extra time). At the end of August, the now 39-year-old officially announced his retirement from the national team in an emotional statement after careful consideration.
But it’s not quite over yet. Messi has been surprisingly called up to Argentina’s squad for the friendly against Benin: It will be the captain’s farewell match; Giovani Lo Celso and Messi’s Inter Miami team-mate Rodrigo de Paul will also be honoured.
Tickets sold out quickly for the chance to witness “the world’s best player’s final tango” (Federation President Claudio Tapia) on 6 October at the stadium of record champions River Plate in Buenos Aires. It took less than two hours for the tickets to sell out. “Agotado” (“Sold out”) was the message on the Deportick.com website, through which tickets for the friendly against Benin were being sold.
The Argentine Football Association could certainly have sold far more tickets for “La Pulga’s” farewell at the Monumental Stadium in the Argentine capital, which has a capacity of over 80,000. The demand was enormous. As reported by the newspaper La Nación, buying tickets via the ticket portal involved waiting times of more than an hour – and even then, it was sometimes in vain. Ticket prices for the eight-time World Footballer of the Year’s final appearance in the Argentine shirt ranged from the equivalent of 52 to 277 euros.
For Messi, it will be his 208th and final appearance for his home country, for whom he has scored a total of 125 goals – both record figures in the history of Argentine football.
