Breaking
TREyüpsultan Mayor Mithat Bülent Özmen was detainedDEBND boss Jäger warns of the threat of violent confrontation with RussiaCNBayer has participated in the CIIE for nine consecutive years, bringing nearly 30 debut exhibits.PLAttack on the Russian Khanskaya airport: fires and destroyed planesDEGerman secret services: Russia is the biggest immediate threatARJorge Jesus denies apologizing to Ronaldo and confirms that the national team's door is open to himSEThe Silivri landfill in Turkey is singled out as the largest source of methane emissionsTRUSA Followed the Allegations in RussiaINTLRussian Agents Used AI to Promote Pro-Russian Influence in CARTRIsraeli attacks in Gaza: Injuries from UAV and artillery fireTREyüpsultan Mayor Mithat Bülent Özmen was detainedDEBND boss Jäger warns of the threat of violent confrontation with RussiaCNBayer has participated in the CIIE for nine consecutive years, bringing nearly 30 debut exhibits.PLAttack on the Russian Khanskaya airport: fires and destroyed planesDEGerman secret services: Russia is the biggest immediate threatARJorge Jesus denies apologizing to Ronaldo and confirms that the national team's door is open to himSEThe Silivri landfill in Turkey is singled out as the largest source of methane emissionsTRUSA Followed the Allegations in RussiaINTLRussian Agents Used AI to Promote Pro-Russian Influence in CARTRIsraeli attacks in Gaza: Injuries from UAV and artillery fire
NewsgatherNewsgather
All StoriesWorldSportsFinanceTechScience
Sign In
All StoriesWorldSportsFinanceTechScienceHealthCultureClimatePoliticsSpace
NewsgatherNewsgather

Real-time global news intelligence. Curated by humans, powered by data.

Sections

All StoriesWorldSportsFinanceTechScience

More

HealthCultureClimatePoliticsSpace

Company

AboutEditorial StandardsAdvertisingCareersPressContact

©️ 2026 Newsgather. A product by All Software 24. All rights reserved.

Privacy PolicyCookie PolicyImprintTerms of UseContent and Editorial PolicyRemoval RequestDelete Your AccountAdvertising PolicyContact
Back|Lionel Messi arrives in Argentina ahead of expected final home match
Lionel Messi arrives in Argentina ahead of expected final home match
Sports
TOI Sports·1 hour ago·Sports·1 min read·🇮🇳India

Lionel Messi arrives in Argentina ahead of expected final home match

Lionel Messi has joined the Argentina squad at the Ezeiza training base ahead of his farewell match against Benin at the Estadio Monumental.

Quick Look

Lionel Messi has joined Argentina's squad at the Ezeiza training base ahead of his expected final international appearance on home soil against Benin at the Estadio Monumental.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

Lionel Messi has recorded 125 goals in 207 appearances for Argentina, winning the 2022 World Cup.

Font size

Lionel Messi has joined the Argentina squad ahead of what is expected to be his final international appearance on home soil.

The 39-year-old forward arrived at the team’s Ezeiza training base on Sunday and took part in his first session before the squad gathered for a traditional asado.

Argentina will face Benin at the Estadio Monumental on Tuesday, with around 85,000 fans expected to attend the special occasion.

The team enters the game in strong form after beating Bolivia 4-0 and Burkina Faso 7-0.

Messi will enter the farewell match with an impressive record of 125 goals in 207 appearances for Argentina.

His international career includes winning the 2022 World Cup, two Copa America titles and the Finalissima.

AFA president Claudio Tapia explained why the federation decided to organise the special event, saying: "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."

Several of Messi’s long-time teammates will be there for his final appearance.

Giovani Lo Celso, Rodrigo De Paul and Nicolas Otamendi are expected to play alongside the Argentina captain.

Leandro Paredes will also attend the event from the stands despite serving a 10-match FIFA suspension following the 2026 World Cup final.

However, two members of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad, Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina, will miss the occasion.

Their club, AS Roma, did not allow them to travel.

Argentina will wear a special one-off kit for the occasion, featuring the Sun of May and laurel branches around Messi’s famous No. 10.

After the match, Messi will return his focus to club football with Inter Miami, where he is contracted until the end of the 2028 MLS season.

For Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, the farewell also marks the beginning of a new phase as he looks to develop the next generation of players for the team’s upcoming tournament cycle.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

  • Lionel Messi will play his final international appearance on home soil against Benin.

    Very likely · Within days

Open Questions

  • ?Will Messi play a full match against Benin?

Related Topics

People
Organizations
Places
Topics
This article was originally published by TOI Sports.

Quick Look

Lionel Messi has joined Argentina's squad at the Ezeiza training base ahead of his expected final international appearance on home soil against Benin at the Estadio Monumental.

AI-generated summary

Story signals

News tone
Positive
Emotional intensity
High
News value
Moderate
Global impact
Global
Follow-up likelihood
Certain
Relevance window
Days

Source & Reliability

Source
TOI Sports
Story type
Feature
Source quality
Full
Published
1 hour ago
lionel messi
argentina
benin
lionel messi
Lionel Messi
Claudio Tapia
Giovani Lo Celso
Rodrigo De Paul
Argentina squad
AFA
AS Roma
Inter Miami
Argentina
Ezeiza
Estadio Monumental
argentina
benin
estadio monumental
claudio tapia
inter miami

Related Stories

More on this topiclionel messi
Performance of Indian athletics team in Asian Games 2026: Medals won but did not live up to expectations
Developing·2 hours ago

Performance of Indian athletics team in Asian Games 2026: Medals won but did not live up to expectations

Indian athletes won a total of 85 medals in the Asian Games 2026 held in Nagoya, Japan, which includes 24 medals (1 gold, 9 silver, 14 bronze) from athletics. Vidya Ramraj broke PT Usha's 42-year-old national record, while Sawan Barwal won a medal in the marathon after 48 years. Many national records were made but the burden of injuries and expectations affected the performance.

BBC हिंदी
4 min read
India's women's hockey team secures Olympic qualification after 44-year wait
Developing·5 hours ago

India's women's hockey team secures Olympic qualification after 44-year wait

India's women's hockey team won the Asian Champions Trophy and earned direct qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics after a 44-year gap, following a systematic rebuild under coach Sjoerd Marijne and performance staff focused on fitness, injury recovery, and team belief.

TOI Sports
2 min read
Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Portugal squad after Norway bench, coach says door open for return
Developing·7 hours ago

Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Portugal squad after Norway bench, coach says door open for return

Cristiano Ronaldo departed the Portugal national team after being benched against Norway and told he would not start against Denmark, with coach Jorge Jesus stating Ronaldo can return if he chooses, while the Portuguese Football Federation president affirmed Ronaldo remains part of the team's plans.

Times of India
2 min read
Craig Miles Announces Retirement from Professional Cricket at 32 to Prioritize Mental Health
Developing·7 hours ago

Craig Miles Announces Retirement from Professional Cricket at 32 to Prioritize Mental Health

English fast bowler Craig Miles has retired from professional cricket at age 32, citing mental health struggles. The Gloucestershire player ends a 15-year career with over 500 wickets across formats, stating he no longer feels capable of maintaining his personal performance standards.

Times of India
2 min read
Rishabh Pant leads Rest of India to Irani Cup victory on 29th birthday
Developing·15 hours ago

Rishabh Pant leads Rest of India to Irani Cup victory on 29th birthday

Rishabh Pant celebrated his 29th birthday by leading Rest of India to a 167-run Irani Cup win over Jammu and Kashmir, despite missing the final day due to fever, as teammates executed a bowling comeback and Ravichandran Smaran scored match-winning 135.

TOI Sports
2 min read
Elena Rybakina withdraws from Wuhan Open due to foot injury
Developing·15 hours ago

Elena Rybakina withdraws from Wuhan Open due to foot injury

World number one Elena Rybakina withdrew from the Wuhan Open due to a foot injury, a day after losing her opening match at the China Open to world number 118 Alina Charaeva. The 27-year-old Kazakh player said she would take time to recover and is expected to compete in Ningbo next.

TOI Sports
1 min read
More on this topiclionel messi