Messi's Farewell Kit Unveiled for Argentina's 'Last Tango'

Lionel Messi will bring a 21-year international career to a close when Argentina host Benin in an international friendly at the Estadio Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires on 6 October, kicking off at 7pm ET and billed as "The Last Tango". The 39-year-old confirmed his retirement from international football in late August, a little over a month after driving Argentina to the World Cup Final.

Argentina will be playing at home, in their capital, in front of a capacity crowd that sold out in hours, and in a shirt designed for the occasion alone.

A shirt built for one night

Adidas have produced a bespoke jersey to mark Messi's contribution, which produced two Copa America titles and a World Cup across a three-year run from 2021 to 2024.

The design is drawn from the Argentina flag, retaining the sky blue and white stripes and adding gold detailing and commemorative flourishes. Taken directly from the flag, the "Sun of May" — a symbol that first appeared on Argentine coins in the early 1800s — is emblazoned across both the front and the back of the shirt.

Messi's own personal "M" emblem takes the place of the Adidas logo on the chest. His name and the number 10 are applied in gold, and his name appears again in a sun-shaped stamp at the back of the neck, with his squad number wreathed in laurel branches. Matching white and gold custom boots complete the set.

Messi had already hinted at the design himself, posting a short clip on Instagram this week in which he hangs up the jersey, with the caption: "One last match. A jersey for a lifetime."

Tickets gone in two hours

The demand for a place inside the Monumental was immediate. According to TNT Sports Argentina, all 85,000 tickets sold out within two hours of going on sale on Thursday.

Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni has said Messi deserves a tribute in his final game for the national team.

The 208th and final cap

Messi's appearance against Benin will be his 208th for Argentina. He has scored 125 senior international goals, and Benin will not be among the nations he has found the net against.

Bolivia head the list with 11 goals, followed by Ecuador and Venezuela on seven each and Uruguay on six. He has five against each of Algeria, Brazil, Chile, Estonia, Guatemala and Paraguay, and has scored against 44 countries in all.

His honours with the national team include the Copa America in 2021 and 2024 either side of the 2022 World Cup. He has also lost two World Cup finals, to Germany in 2014 and to Spain in 2026.

The opposition and the rest of the break

Benin sit 89th in the FIFA rankings, against Argentina's second, and are coached by Gernot Rohr, the former Nigeria boss. They are captained by Steve Mounie, the former Huddersfield Town striker, and reached this window having drawn with Burkina Faso and beaten Mauritania in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.

Argentina open the international break with friendlies against Bolivia and Burkina Faso, both without Messi, before the send-off fixture.

How to watch

The match is available on ViX and Prime Video.

SportsLigue