SOCCER: Lionel Messi's final appearance for Argentina national team set on October 6

Lionel Messi's final appearance for the Argentina national team will be an Oct. 6 friendly against Benin in Buenos Aires.

The president of Argentina's soccer federation said it will serve as a farewell match for Messi, who on Aug. 31 announced he was retiring from international competition as he had "nothing left to give."

In his video statement, Claudio Tapia described the send-off as "the goodbye (Messi) truly deserves" in his native land.

Tapia also revealed that the rest of Argentina's 2022 World Cup-winning squad was invited to the match.

The match against Benin -- an African nation ranked No. 93 in the FIFA men's world rankings -- is the last of three friendlies Argentina has scheduled, following home games against Bolivia Sept. 30 and Burkina Faso Oct. 3.

FIFA handed Argentina a slew of fines, suspensions and other punishments following the 2026 World Cup, mainly related to post-match conduct after losing the final 1-0 to Spain. However, FIFA also cited "using a sports event for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature," as after a semifinal win over England, several Argentina players raised a banner claiming Argentine sovereignty over the British-held Falkland Islands.

FIFA's punishment for Argentina included playing their next two home matches with only 50% capacity, though one match of that punishment was suspended. Because Argentina scheduled three friendlies, the punishment should be served before Messi's farewell game.

Messi, 39, is still starring for Inter Miami and could be named Major League Soccer's MVP for the third year running, as he's amassed 19 goals and 13 assists through 22 games. After his father passed in August, Messi said in a social media post that he had "doubts as to whether I'll carry on (playing) for much longer."

--Field Level Media