Messi's last tango with Argentina begins

The private jet carrying Lionel Messi, his wife Antonela Roccuzzo, their sons Thiago, Mateo and Ciro, and his mother Celia Cuccittini, touched down at 7:00 local time (10:00 GMT) at Rosario's Islas Malvinas International Airport, roughly 300 kilometres from Buenos Aires, where the talismanic captain will make his final bow for Argentina on Tuesday.

The forward headed straight to his residence in Funes, on the outskirts of Rosario, where he will spend the weekend before reporting for duty with Lionel Scaloni's squad.

The Inter Miami star arrived earlier than anticipated. Argentina staff had initially expected him to link up with the camp following Saturday's clash against Burkina Faso at the Estadio Monumental, the second of three friendlies scheduled for this international window.

Messi will play no part in Saturday's encounter, though he could yet travel to Buenos Aires to support his teammates from the stands, despite no formal confirmation having been made.

Instead, the stage is set for Tuesday 6 October, when Argentina face Benin at the Monumental in a showcase arranged specifically to grant Messi a hero's send-off in front of his home supporters.

The friendly forms part of the fixtures mapped out for the 'Albiceleste' in the wake of their 2026 World Cup final defeat against Spain. Argentina dispatched Bolivia 4-0 in Cordoba on Wednesday, an emphatic display that heralded the start of Scaloni's generational transition ahead of upcoming tournaments.

The Argentine icon officially announced his international retirement on 31 August. "I am completely drained. I have nothing left to give," he stated. Messi revealed that he reached the decision immediately following that World Cup final heartbreak, but delayed public confirmation following the death of his father, Jorge Messi.

Messi earned his senior international debut on 17 August 2005 in a friendly against Hungary. Across more than two decades representing the 'Albiceleste', he amassed 207 caps, 125 goals and 68 assists, according to official AFA figures. Argentina's record goalscorer cemented his immortal legacy by lifting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, two Copa America titles (2021 and 2024), and the 2022 Finalissima.

The meeting with Benin represents his definitive farewell appearance in national colours, complete with a post-match tribute to the captain after tickets were snapped up within minutes.

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