Argentina fans are confident there is a bright future beyond Lionel Messi as the team’s most influential player of the last two decades prepares to bid farewell.

The 39-year-old superstar will play his final match for Argentina on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) — a friendly against Benin at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires — marking a pivotal moment in the country’s football.

Messi leaves behind an extraordinary legacy, including the 2022 World Cup title, two more World Cup finals (2014, 2026), two Copa América trophies (2021, 2024), an Olympic gold medal (2008), and 125 goals as the national team’s all-time leading scorer.

His international retirement raises an inevitable question: Can Argentina remain among the global elite, or is a long trophy drought — reminiscent of the 35-year dry spell following Diego Maradona’s departure — on the horizon?

“Messi leaves behind something unequaled,” national coach Lionel Scaloni says. “We have to keep playing, but the feeling of having him on the pitch is unique. I’ve never seen anyone else convey what he does on a football field, and that is what we’re going to miss.”

However, Scaloni — who is in advanced negotiations to renew his contract for another four years — looks beyond Messi with optimism: “The Argentine national team will endure. We will remain at a high level, I have no doubt about that.”

The future is hereIn the first two post-World Cup matches without Messi, Argentina dazzled in the past week with resounding victories against Bolivia 4-0 and Burkina Faso 7-0. Despite the opponents’ stature, the matches offered compelling glimpses of what lies ahead.

Alongside established stars like Emiliano Martínez, Cristian Romero, Enzo Fernández, and Lautaro Martínez, an exciting wave of new talent emerged — creative midfielders Nicolás Paz and Franco Mastantuono, and wingers Gianluca Prestianni and Leonel Flores.

Flores is a Boca Juniors youth player who made his professional debut just two months ago and has already earned senior national team experience.

“There’s a changing of the guard; maybe we have to play differently now, not thinking in terms of Messi and 10 others,’ but rather as a unified team,” supporter Cristian Versalles, 55, told the AP after watching the victory over Burkina Faso on Saturday.

His son, Ramiro, 23, added, “Given the number of players coming through, there’s definitely a new generation ready to step up. Nico Paz is the heir apparent.” Paz, playing out of Italian club Como, was one of the scorers.

Also at the friendly and wearing the No. 19 jersey — the same one Messi wore during his senior national team debut in 2005 — 10-year-old fan Uzzi Rivero admitted, “It makes me really sad that he doesn’t play for Argentina anymore.” However, the youngster scowled at the suggestion that Argentina might face a trophy-less era following Messi’s retirement.

Another fan, Valentina Gago, 20, said: “I’m excited about Argentina without Messi; my favorite player is Lautaro Martínez. It’s not the same as Messi but I love him just the same.”

With his goal against Burkina Faso, Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martínez ranks as Argentina’s third-highest all-time goal-scorer with 42.

“As long as the players are eager to give their all for the shirt, for me, Argentina will remain a contender,” Gago said.

The world will find out at the 2028 Copa América.

Lionel Messi was on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) named in Argentina’s squad for a friendly against Benin on October 6, a match that will serve as his farewell appearance after announcing his international retirement last month.

The 39-year-old said in August he was retiring from Argentina duty after a two-decade international career that included winning the 2022 World Cup and Copa America triumphs in 2021 and 2024.

“We made the decision to invite the best player in the world, the symbol of our national team, our captain, Lionel Andres Messi, so that he can have the farewell he truly deserves on October 6 here in Argentina,” said Argentine FA president Claudio Tapia.

The match against Benin will take place at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, which can accommodate 85,000 spectators.

Tapia also invited all of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup winners to join Messi for what he said would be an “unforgettable” occasion.

Argentina begin a series of three friendlies against Bolivia on September 30 in Cordoba — their first match since losing the World Cup final to Spain — before taking on Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on October 3.

Messi has been included in the squad for the third match against Benin, when he is expected to make his 208th and final appearance for the national team. He is Argentina’s all-time record scorer with 125 goals.

Following the death of his father Jorge last month, Messi had said he had “serious doubts” about continuing to play football of any sort for “much longer”. “It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep in my soul but I understand that it is the right time,” Messi said when he called time on his Argentina career.

His contract with Major League Soccer club Inter Miami runs until the end of the 2028 season.

Last month FIFA ordered Argentina to play their next home match with capacity reduced to 50 percent for breaches of its disciplinary code relating to using a sports event for making demonstrations of a non-sporting nature.

After Argentina beat England 2-1 in a tense World Cup semi-final in July, several players held up a banner saying: “The Falklands are Argentine”.

The friendlies are also expected to count towards suspensions handed down following incidents after Argentina’s World Cup final defeat by Spain.

Midfielder Leandro Paredes received a 10-match ban, while defender Nahuel Molina was suspended for seven games and Thiago Almada for one.

Argentina superstar and inspiration behind his country’s 2022 World Cup victory, Lionel Messi, said on Wednesday (August 12, 2026) he has “serious doubts” about continuing to play football for “much longer” after the death of his father Jorge Messi.

“I don’t know what I’ll do without you, I don’t know how to go on. I just played football, and now I have serious doubts about continuing to do so for much longer,” Messi, 39, wrote in a message on social media after his father, who was also his agent, died last week aged 68.

In the message, Messi, whose contract with Major League Soccer outfit Inter Miami runs till the end of the 2028 season, reflected on the final months of his father’s life, which coincided with the 2026 World Cup.

“I kept telling you we would reach the final so you could make the trip,” said Messi, who returned to the United States on Tuesday (August 11, 2026) night following his father’s funeral on Sunday (August 9, 2026).

“We made it to the final, but you couldn’t be there. I wanted to win it to bring it to you and show you a new one. I couldn’t; my legs just gave out.”

“This time I tried to push past my physical limits, but I couldn’t. I never felt right,” Messi said in his first comments after the 1–0 loss to Spain in the final in New Jersey.

Messi highlighted his father’s pivotal role in his life and career: “You were a father, a friend, and an agent. You were always exactly who you needed to be in every moment, and you never put a foot wrong.”

Jorge Messi’s unusual absence from the World Cup in June had already attracted attention.

Messi’s family asked the media for “humanity” during the tournament amid persistent rumours over Jorge’s health.

After bursting into tears after scoring against Algeria in a group match, Messi had admitted to dealing with “a situation outside of sports”.

On Sunday (August 9, 2026), the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner bid farewell to his father during a private ceremony with close family and a few Argentina teammates in the town of Perez, adjacent to Rosario.

The cause of death was not disclosed, but local media reported that Jorge Messi had been suffering from cancer.

Jorge Messi, the father and agent of Lionel Messi, has died aged 68, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s childhood club Newell’s Old Boys announced on Saturday (August 8, 2026).

Argentinian media reported Jorge Messi had passed away on Friday (August 7) in a hospital in Rosario.

“His constant companionship and behind-the-scenes leadership were essential in backing every step of Lionel,” Newell’s Old Boys said in a social media post.

Jorge Messi was his son’s first coach in Argentina and his sole companion when he first moved to Barcelona as a child, before later becoming his agent.

“My father helped me enormously. He is very critical of me. That made me always want to push myself further,” Lionel Messi told DirecTV Sports in 2022.

Messi’s family asked the media for “humanity” during the recent World Cup amid persistent rumours over Jorge’s health.

Lionel Messi returned to Major League Soccer action after World Cup duty on Saturday (August 1, 2026), coming on in the second half as his Inter Miami side drew 2-2 with Columbus Crew.

Two weeks after Argentina’s loss to Spain in the World Cup final, Messi was back on the pitch, entering in the 53rd minute to the delight of fans at Miami’s Nu Stadium.

But Messi could not mark his return with a goal, twice shooting wide.

Uruguayan Luis Suarez scored his seventh goal in his last four games to put Miami 1-0 up in the 16th minute.

Miami’s former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro scored an own goal in the 34th minute, which drew Columbus level at 1-1.

Suarez provided the assist for Noah Allen to head Miami into a 2-1 half-time lead

But midfielder Brais Mendez, making his Columbus debut after arriving from Real Sociedad in Spain, curled in a second equalizer from an 84th-minute free-kick.

The result ended Miami’s six-match winning streak and kept them in second place in the Eastern Conference behind Nashville, who drew 2-2 at DC United.

Los Angeles FC and Vancouver Whitecaps remain level at the top of the Western Conference after they drew 1-1 at Vancouver’s BC Place.

Son Heung-min extended his scoring streak since the MLS resumed after the World Cup to four goals in four matches as he put Los Angeles ahead in the 37th minute.

But Vancouver’s German star Thomas Mueller converted a 76th-minute penalty.

The former Tottenham star Son, who had shouldered much of the blame for South Korea’s failure to make it to the knockout rounds of the World Cup, also earned MVP honors in the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday.

Lionel Messi said on Monday (July 20, 2026) that after Argentina’s World Cup final loss, “the pain is immense and it’s going to take a long time for this wound to heal.”

“I’d also like to congratulate Spain on winning the tournament,” added the 39-year-old, who broke down in tears after the defeat.

In the knockout rounds, Argentina came from behind to beat Egypt and England and had to go to extra time to beat Cape Verde and Switzerland.

“With the matches we turned around by giving our all – matches that will remain in our memories forever – and with the support of an entire country, which, together with the hard work and effort of this squad, led us to once again be among the best in the world,” the Inter Miami forward wrote in the post.

Having scored eight goals during the tournament, Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner as best player in the world, failed to make an impact in the final, much like his team, which was unable to pose a threat to a better-organised Spanish side.

At the World Cup, he has now lost two finals, in 2014 and 2026, and won one, in 2022, against France.

Argentinian media reported on Monday (July 20) that Messi was not expected to make the trip back to Buenos Aires with most of the rest of the squad for what promises to be a subdued homecoming.

Mumbai

As Spain and Argentina prepare to lock horns in Sunday night’s FIFA World Cup final, two of European football’s biggest names have highlighted the tactical intrigue that could define the contest while stopping short of predicting a winner.

Former England striker Robbie Fowler and legendary Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, speaking as Zee5 experts ahead of the summit clash, agreed that Spain has set the benchmark throughout the tournament but felt Argentina possess enough quality to test the European champion if it can exploit the few spaces on offer.

“The obvious one is Spain’s going to have a little bit more of the ball,” Fowler said here on Thursday. “How we stop Messi from dominating games is you don’t let them have the ball. It’s easier said than done, but Spain are a possession-based team with a purpose. It’s not possession for the sake of it. They play forward, break presses and look to attack in transition.”

The former Liverpool stalwart felt Spain’s ability to monopolise possession also serves as its primary defensive weapon. “They’ll try to control the ball, control areas of the pitch and stop Argentina from having the ball. That’s a great defensive attribute. How do you stop teams from scoring? Don’t give them the ball,” he said.

Kahn, meanwhile, admitted he had struggled throughout the tournament to identify a weakness in the Spanish side. “I have asked myself the whole tournament: how is Spain beatable?” Kahn said. “They are playing like clockwork, without any weaknesses.”

The legendary goalkeeper suggested that Spain’s only vulnerability could arise if its attacking full-backs, Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro, push too high up the pitch alongside Rodri, leaving space for Lionel Messi & Co. to exploit on the counter.

“But the question is whether Spain will offer this space to Argentina. Spain’s players are so intelligent. They have high playing intelligence and are extremely smart on the field,” Kahn said.

“This game is a match between rational guys playing super-smart football against fully emotional, aggressive guys playing a totally different style. It is a battle between systems and tactics, but you also have outstanding players like Rodri, Yamal, Messi, Martínez and De Paul.”

Have you seen the viral photograph of the 25-foot cutout of Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi put up by fans at Chellanam, in Kochi? Placing a cutout of Messi is now something of a FIFA World Cup tradition at Chellanam. “Every season (World Cup) Messi cutouts come up without fail and these are built from scratch by local fans,” says Thomas Mayjo, an All Indian Football Federation certified coach and Chellanam native. 

Although football fans across Kerala have been putting up cutouts of their favourite players, this one at Chellanam has garnered the most attention.

Way back in 2018, a 35-foot high cutout of the Argentinian star by another Chellanam-based club, Argentina Fans Chellanam got a football autographed by their hero. This video was uploaded on Messi’s website, which caught his team’s attention and the rest is the stuff of dreams. 

This year the cutout is a modest 25 feet high, and has been put up by the young members of the City Bazaar Football Club. “The boys put in a lot of effort to get this cutout ‘up’. From ideation to execution it was the work of almost a month,” says Mayjo, who was also the goalkeeper of the Indian team at the 2019 Homeless World Cup and an employee of Project Venda, by the Fourth Wave Foundation. Usually by the time the World Cup kicks off there would be cutouts in place, however this year, initially, there wasn’t much happening vis-a vis putting up these. That is when the youngsters put their heads together and decided that they would do it.  

“They raised funds via donations and crowdfunding, working together as a team to put the cutout together. These boys are essentially the next generation to put it up. Every four years, there is a new group of kids — it is almost like a rite of passage!” says Mayjo. It was not all youngsters, even the older folks contributed in raising the cutout.

“The boys did all the welding and the other work securing the cutout onto the metal frame. They had help with figuring out how to attach it to the frame and securing it so that it stays put, and also cutting the flex in this shape,” he adds. The final act of placing was the work of three days.

He says there is another story to how the cutout was put together. “The boys worked on it, putting it together in a compound on which once stood the house of one of the boys. The sea had taken away their house!” For context, a little background on Chellanam, which is a coastal village near Kochi, is prone to flooding (during high tide also) and sea erosion. 

This year’s tournament is extra special and bitter-sweet because this might be the last time Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) and Neymar Junior (Brazil) would play for a World Cup. “These three footballers have been looked up to by a couple of generations, the next time will not be the same. There will be other names, but it will not be the same.”  

Although the majority are Argentina fans here, there are supporters of other countries like Brazil. Like Mayjo, who says he loves the sport and ‘supports’ Brazil. He has an explanation for why Neymar, “He is an inspiration to young people for the way he has made a comeback after every setback and he is going to play this year. It is a lesson for young people on how to persevere and not give up. And for that reason he deserves a special place.”  

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami had a 3-0 lead, against in-state rival Orlando City, on co-owner David Beckham’s 51st birthday no less, finally looking poised to get the long-awaited first win on its new home field.

Martin Ojeda and Orlando City had other ideas.