More than 85,000 fans attended the Monumental Stadium for Messi’s farewell appearance with Argentina

Buenos Aires has been filled with blue and white as thousands of Argentine fans gather ahead of Lionel Messi’s farewell match with the national team against Benin this Tuesday at the Monumental Stadium.

Fans wearing Argentina jerseys and waving flags have taken over the streets, with chants of “Messi, Messi, Messi!” creating an emotional atmosphere before the captain’s final appearance in the national team shirt.

The match is scheduled for October 6 at the Monumental, where around 85,000 spectators are expected to attend Messi’s farewell. The Argentine Football Association has organized the game as a celebration of his more than two decades with the national team.

Messi, 39, will close his international career as Argentina’s record appearance-maker and leading scorer, with 207 matches and 125 goals. He helped the national team win the 2022 World Cup and Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024.

For Argentine supporters, the match represents the closing of a major chapter in the national team’s history as Messi prepares to make his final appearance in the blue and white shirt.