Tickets for Messi's final match with Argentina sell out within two hours

Tickets for the farewell match of Argentine star Lionel Messi with his national team, which will see him face Benin on October 6, sold out in less than two hours.

Demand for tickets was overwhelming, allowing the Argentine Football Association to easily sell far more than the 80,000 tickets made available for the match at the Monumental Stadium in the capital, Buenos Aires.

Messi had announced his retirement from the Argentine national team in late August last year, after a 21-year career. However, coach Lionel Scaloni decided to call him up one last time to participate in the match against Benin, giving him a farewell befitting his illustrious journey with his country’s team.

Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association, stated that Messi accepted the invitation, noting that all players who were part of the squad that won the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, along with their families, were also invited to attend “the last tango of the world’s best player.”

The player, who has won the Best Player in the World award eight times, claimed the World Cup title four years ago. He also participated in the finals of the 2014 and 2026 World Cups and won the Copa América title twice.

The match against Benin is the last of three friendly matches the Argentine national team will play during the current international break, in addition to a match against Bolivia next Wednesday in Córdoba, and another match against Burkina Faso on the third of next month in Buenos Aires.