Lionel Messi is closing his international career with Argentina at the Estadio Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires, where a packed crowd and a slate of musical acts mark his final appearance for the Albiceleste. The fixture caps a journey for the forward, whose deep bond with Brazilian star Neymar prompted a widespread public tribute from his former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain teammate ahead of kickoff.
Neymar Honors Messi Ahead of Final Argentina Appearance
As Messi prepared to step onto the pitch for his national team farewell, Neymar published a heartfelt message across his social media channels, addressing an audience of over 241 million followers. It was reported that the Brazilian forward chose iconic imagery from their shared careers—including a memorable embrace at the Maracanã following Argentina’s 2021 Copa América victory—to accompany his goodbye.
Quienes aman el fútbol te han disfrutado a lo largo de estos años… Hoy es tu último partido con la camiseta de tu selección, de tu país, y espero que disfrutes de cada segundo, que todos los homenajes de hoy te hagan feliz,
Neymar wrote in the post.
GRACIAS.
Two Decades of Partnership and Rivalry on the Pitch
Messi and Neymar constructed a football relationship spanning more than a decade, combining six seasons as club partners with high-stakes international matchups. Data from Transfermarkt shows the two forwards shared the pitch in 206 official matches for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, collecting 11 team trophies together, which featured the 2015 UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup titles.
Their club partnership began when Neymar transferred to Barcelona, joining a forward line alongside Messi and Luis Suárez that became known as the MSN trio. That collaboration ended in 2017 when Neymar moved to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record transfer fee of 222 million euros. The pair reunited in the French capital, though their tenure in Paris brought mixed emotions.
Fue muy feliz por el año que tuvo, pero al mismo tiempo muy triste, porque él vivió las dos caras de la moneda. Fue al cielo con la selección argentina, ganó todo en los últimos años, y en París vivimos el infierno, él y yo,
Neymar stated in an interview with Globo’s Esporte Espetacular, reflecting on the pressures faced during their time with PSG prior to their respective exits in 2023.
Before becoming teammates, Messi and Neymar had already faced each other as opponents, with their largest club-level clash taking place on December 18, 2011, in the FIFA Club World Cup final at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan.
Buenos Aires Prepares a Massive Stadium Farewell
Messi shared his own farewell video via Team Messi, stating, Llegó el día que nunca hubiéramos querido que llegue. El día más triste de nuestras vidas,
before adding, Me voy en paz. Dejé todo. Esta camiseta fue mi sueño, mi orgullo y mi vida. Gracias por quererme tanto, los voy a extrañar.
Leo Messi will start the match alongside the vast majority of the 2022 world champion players.
TyC Sports detailed the extensive pre-match schedule at the Estadio Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires, beginning at 17:30 with an opening by the UPDR host, animation, and a live band. The lineup features live musical performances from artists such as Seba Mendoza from 17:40 to 17:48, Román el Original from 17:50 to 17:58, Amar Azul from 18:00 to 18:08, Santi Cairo from 18:10 to 18:18, Q’ Lokura with a 20-minute show from 18:20 to 18:40, another intervention by UPDR and the band from 18:40 to 19:00, and Damas Gratis from 19:00 to 19:25. The schedule continues with the Argentine National Anthem performed by Fabio Santana from 20:00 to 20:03, Los Fundamentalistas from 21:00 to 21:08, a drone show, canvas setup, pyrotechnics, lights, and technical work from 22:03 to 22:10, La Sole from 22:10 to 22:15, Ulises Bueno performing his show Trampa
from 22:15 to 22:35, and a musical surprise and grand finale at 22:35.
Diario AS documented the broader context of Messi’s international tenure with Argentina, tracing his path from a turbulent debut involving a red card issued by referee Markus Merk against Hungarian defender Vilmos Vanczák in 2005, through major tournament disappointments—such as the 4-0 defeat to Germany in the quarterfinals under Diego Maradona in 2010, the 2011 Copa América elimination by Uruguay on penalties where Messi was labeled pechofrío,
the 2016 Copa América Centenario final loss to Chile where Messi announced his international retirement by stating, Se terminó,
his return for the 2018 World Cup where Argentina was eliminated by Kylian Mbappé’s France in Kazan, and the 2019 Copa América semifinal exit against host Brazil—and the eventual breakthrough under manager Lionel Scaloni that yielded the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the 2024 Copa América title, and a legendary 2026 World Cup campaign at age 39 that took Argentina to extra time in the final against Spain.
Messi published a farewell story on his Instagram account hours before the match, accompanied by a photograph of himself kissing the special jersey he will wear for his final appearance, ending with the words, Gracias Argentina.
TyC Sports Broadcasts Farewell Fixture Against Benin
The farewell fixture against Benin takes place at the Estadio Mas Monumental, with kickoff scheduled for 01:00 local time in Buenos Aires. Television coverage is available live in Argentina and worldwide via TyC Sports on channels 22 (SD) and 101 (HD) on Flow, channels 629 (SD) and 1629 (HD) on DirecTV, and channels 106 (SD) and 1018 (HD) on Telecentro, while online streaming can be accessed by visiting play.tycsports.com via TyC Sports Play.
