End of an era: Lionel Messi prepares to hang up Argentina boots with monumental farewell

South China Morning Post - Oct 6, 2026

Lionel Messi will pull on Argentina’s sky blue-and-white jersey for the last time on Tuesday and enjoy an emotional farewell in front of his adoring fans in a stadium with a name to match his legacy: Monumental. Some 85,000 Argentina fans will be on hand to watch the 39-year-old idol perform his wizardry in a friendly against Benin that brings down the curtain on his 21-year international career. Millions more will be following the action in South America’s largest arena, Buenos Aires’...

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