Lionel Messi farewell match for Argentina against Benin on Tuesday will give the forward another chance to extend several international records he already holds.
Messi will play at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires after Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni recalled him for the friendly.
The match will mark the end of Messi’s international career after he announced his retirement from Argentina last month. The Argentine Football Association later confirmed his inclusion for the farewell fixture.
Messi set to reach 207 Argentina caps
Messi has made 206 appearances for Argentina. Therefore, Tuesday’s game will take his total to 207 caps if he plays.
He already holds Argentina’s appearance record. Javier Mascherano follows with 147 appearances, while Angel Di Maria has 145.
The 39-year-old also leads Argentina’s goalscoring chart. He has scored 125 goals for the national team, putting him well ahead of the other active players.
Lautaro Martinez is the closest active Argentina player, with 42 international goals.
Messi’s Lionel Messi farewell match will therefore add another appearance to a record that he has already established over more than two decades.
World Cup records
Messi also holds Argentina’s records for World Cup appearances and goals.
He has played 34 World Cup matches for Argentina and scored 21 goals.
Those figures place him ahead of every other Argentine player in the two categories.
His international record also extends to South American World Cup qualifying.
Messi shares the record for most goals in the qualifiers with Uruguay’s Luis Suarez. Both players have scored 31 goals.
Meanwhile, Moreno Martins and Hernan Crespo have scored 22 and 19 goals respectively in the competition.
Neither player remains active for his national team.
A final appearance for Argentina
The Lionel Messi farewell match against Benin will bring an end to an international career that began more than two decades ago.
Messi made his Argentina debut in 2005 and went on to become the team’s most prolific goalscorer and most-capped player.
He also captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title and two Copa America triumphs under Scaloni.
Benin will provide the opposition at the Monumental, with thousands of supporters expected to attend the farewell.
The match is scheduled for Tuesday, 6 October, in Buenos Aires.
