Lionel Messi showed off a special kit that he will wear during his last international match on home soil. According to the official AFP website, the Argentine national team will hold three friendly matches in the country between September 21 and October 6.
The team, under the guidance of Lionel Scaloni, will face Bolivia on September 30 at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium in Córdoba province. The remaining two matches will take place at the River Plate stadium: Argentina will play Burkina Faso on October 3, and then Benin on October 6.
Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, and Giovanni Lo Celso will participate in the final friendly match against Benin on October 6. By posting a photo on Instagram, Messi displayed a jersey with his name and the iconic number 10, rendered in gold, featuring a pattern on the back.
He wrote in the post: 'Last match... Jersey for life. Last match... Jersey for life.' Thus, Messi will have the opportunity to say goodbye to Argentine fans and international football on his homeland.
Earlier in September, Messi announced his departure from the national team, concluding a brilliant international career that began with his debut for the senior squad in 2005. He became the player with the most appearances for Argentina and the all-time top scorer, leading the country to three major international titles. He played 207 matches for Argentina and scored 125 goals.
Messi's journey with the Argentine national team, where he is currently 39 years old, included several years of disappointment before he could win major trophies. After losing to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final and defeats to Chile in the 2015 and 2016 Copa América finals, Messi helped Argentina win the 2021 Copa América, ending a 28-year wait for a major trophy. He then led Argentina to victory in the Qatar World Cup in 2022, scoring two goals in the final against France, and subsequently converting a penalty in the penalty shootout when Argentina won 4-2 after the match ended 3-3 after extra time.
Argentina retained the Copa América title in 2024, adding another major trophy to Messi's resume. His World Cup career spanned six tournaments from 2006 to 2026, where he scored 21 goals in 34 matches, becoming the second-highest scorer in tournament history. At the 2026 World Cup, he scored eight goals and provided four assists, including his first World Cup hat-trick against Algeria.
Messi, an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, will continue his club career with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, despite stepping away from international football.
