Argentina calls up Messi for a farewell friendly after his international retirement

The Argentine Football Association confirmed that Lionel Messi has been called up to participate in a home friendly match in Argentina next October for a farewell appearance following his retirement from international football.

Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association, said on social media, “We have invited the best player in the world and our captain, Lionel Andrés Messi, to participate in the match and give him a fitting farewell on October 6 here in Argentina.”

Argentina will play three home friendly matches during the international break designated by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) between September 21 and October 6, marking the national team’s first appearance since the World Cup.

The Argentine national team will face Benin at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on October 6, where Messi, who announced his retirement from international football last month, has been invited to play his farewell match.

Argentina will also meet Bolivia at Mario Kempes Stadium in Cordoba on September 30 before moving to Buenos Aires to host Burkina Faso on October 3.

The match against Bolivia will be played with a reduced attendance of 50 percent as part of the sanctions imposed by FIFA following incidents during this year’s World Cup.

The Argentine Football Association stated in a statement, “Players Messi, ‘Rodrigo’ De Paul, and ‘Giovani’ Lo Celso will attend to participate in the final friendly match on October 6.”

Meanwhile, the names of players called up from the local league will be announced on Friday.

Leandro Paredes, Nahuel Molina, and Thiago Almada will have to serve suspensions of ten, seven, and one match, respectively, due to their roles in the altercation that occurred during the World Cup final against Spain.

Here is Argentina’s squad:

Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martínez, Jerónimo Rulli, Juan Musso.

Defenders: Agustín Giay, Leonardo Balerdi, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Juan Foyth, Facundo Medina, Nicolás Tagliafico, Román Vega.

Midfielders: Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister, Valentín Barco, Giovanni Lo Celso, Ezequiel Palacios, Rodrigo De Paul, Nico Paz, Franco Mastantuono.

Forwards: Matías Soulé, Julián Álvarez, Nicolás González, Gianluca Prestianni, José Manuel López, Santiago Castro, Julián Álvarez, Lautaro Martínez, Lionel Messi.