IBNS-CMEDIA: Lionel Messi is set to return to action in the Argentina jersey next month when the national team takes on Benin in a friendly match.
The superstar, who recently announced his retirement from international football, has been named in Argentina’s 28-man squad for the upcoming friendly fixtures.
The Argentina Football Association (AFA), in a statement on its website, said: “Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, and Giovani Lo Celso will join the squad for the final friendly match on October 6.”
Messi’s final international appearance is set to come against Benin on October 6 at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, which has a capacity of around 85,000.
The match will mark another appearance for Messi after his final World Cup campaign, in which Argentina faced Spain in the final.
Under Messi’s captaincy, Argentina lifted the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, adding another major international title to his illustrious career.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who currently plays for Inter Miami, has scored 125 goals in 207 appearances for Argentina.
Argentina will also play two other friendly matches during the upcoming international window. The team will face Bolivia in Cordoba on September 30 before taking on Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on October 3.
Messi is expected to join the squad for the final friendly against Benin on October 6.
