Lionel Scaloni, Argentina’s head coach, revealed that he made a major effort to persuade Lionel Messi to return for a farewell match against Benin on 6 October at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, explaining that he wanted to arrange the tribute quickly because he was not certain he would remain in charge later.
Scaloni pushes for Messi farewell to be held quickly
Scaloni told reporters that a player of Messi’s stature deserved such a farewell, adding that he had played his part in completing the arrangements because he wanted to be present for the national captain’s final match. He explained that he had pushed for the game to be held during the current international break rather than postponed to an unspecified date.
As I did not know whether I would still be here later, we did everything we could to ensure he could take part in this match
Scaloni stressed that the tribute should not be delayed, saying that if a farewell for Messi was planned, it had to happen now so that he could feel the affection of the fans, warning that the moment could lose its magic if it was postponed. He also confirmed that the Argentine Football Association and its president, Claudio Tapia, had contributed to the arrangements for the player’s return.
Tapia sets Benin match as Messi farewell
Tapia had announced, after talks with Scaloni, that Messi would be invited back to the national team to receive the farewell he deserved in Argentina. The friendly against Benin on 6 October was selected as the final appearance in the national shirt for the 39-year-old star. Messi announced his international retirement on 31 August, more than a month after Argentina lost to Spain by a goal to nil after extra time in the 2026 World Cup final.
In a message announcing his retirement, he said the decision had hurt him, but that he felt the time had come to end his national-team career and make way for the next generation of players. Messi said in his message that he had given everything he had to the Argentina shirt over 20 years and would continue to support the national team from outside the pitch.
He also thanked his family, coaches, team-mates and officials who had shared his international career, saying he was leaving with a sense of calm and pride over the moments he had experienced with the fans. The farewell match is part of a programme of three friendlies for Argentina. The team will face Bolivia on 30 September at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium, then play Burkina Faso on 3 October at the Monumental Stadium, before facing Benin at the same ground three days later.
Scaloni’s future with Argentina remains unresolved
Scaloni’s insistence on holding the farewell quickly is also linked to his unresolved future with the national team, with his contract expiring in December 2026. The coach, who led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup and two Copa América titles, said he would meet Tapia in the coming days to discuss whether he would continue.
Scaloni described coaching the national team as a dream come true, but stressed that this did not mean he intended to remain in the post forever. He added that there were conditions to discuss with the association president before it could be known whether the two sides would reach an agreement, while expressing his desire to continue working.
Scaloni also discussed the rebuilding of the national team after the World Cup, explaining that most of the players would remain while some would leave. He said the coaching staff was working in a similar way to its approach in 2018, and that its decisions were aimed at serving the national team’s interests as the next phase began following Messi’s retirement.
