Sport · Singapore Bureau
Messi to make Argentina farewell appearance in October friendly
Lionel Messi has accepted a call-up from Argentina for a home friendly match in October to mark his retirement from international football. The Argentine Football Association confirmed the arrangement on Tuesday.
LSN Singapore ·
The Paris Saint-Germain forward will play his final match for his country in a fixture at home next month, bringing closure to a career that saw him lead Argentina to World Cup glory last year in Qatar.
Messi, 36, announced his retirement from international football in August following Argentina's Copa America campaign. His decision came after the forward had achieved his long-held ambition of winning football's most prestigious tournament.
The farewell friendly will give Argentine supporters a chance to honour one of the nation's greatest footballers. Messi made his international debut in 2005 and went on to become Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer, earning 180 caps for his country.
The Argentine Football Association said the timing and opponent for the friendly would be confirmed in due course. The match represents a fitting conclusion to Messi's illustrious international career, which included numerous Copa America and Olympic gold medal victories alongside his 2022 World Cup triumph.