Messi’s Argentina Farewell: Argentina vs Benin Date, Kick-Off Time and the Gold No. 10 Shirt
Lionel Messi will wear the Argentina shirt for the final time on Tuesday 6 October 2026, when Argentina face Benin in an international friendly at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. The match will be his 208th cap, closing an international career that began in August 2005.
The fixture is the last of Argentina’s three matches in the October international window, and the only one Messi will play. Ahead of it, a special-edition shirt for the occasion was unveiled — a design in Argentina’s sky blue and white with the No. 10 and the name printed in gold.
This page covers the match details, the kick-off time in the main time zones, the full three-fixture schedule for the window, and what makes the farewell shirt different from Argentina’s regular home kit.
Argentina v Benin: match details
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fixture | Argentina v Benin — international friendly |
| Date | Tuesday 6 October 2026 |
| Kick-off | 20:00 UTC |
| Local kick-off (Buenos Aires) | 17:00 (ART, UTC−3) |
| Venue | Estadio Monumental |
| City | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Capacity | About 85,000 (River Plate’s home ground) |
| Caps for Messi | 208th and final |
| Argentina’s previous match | v Burkina Faso, 3 October 2026 |
| Argentina’s next fixture after this | No fixture announced — next major tournament is the 2028 Copa América |
Kick-off note: current fixture listings carry a 20:00 UTC start. Broadcasters in some markets publish their own window, so confirm the exact start time with your local rights holder.
Kick-off time in Europe, the UK, the United States and China
Argentina plays on Argentina Time (ART, UTC−3) throughout the year and does not observe daylight saving. Europe is still on Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2) on 6 October — the switch to Central European Time (CET, UTC+1) does not happen until 25 October 2026. The United States is on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT, UTC−4).
| Time zone | Local kick-off | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina Time (ART, UTC−3) | 17:00, 6 October 2026 | Local time in Buenos Aires |
| Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) | 20:00, 6 October 2026 | Reference time for the fixture |
| Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2) | 22:00, 6 October 2026 | Europe is still on summer time on this date |
| British Summer Time (BST, UTC+1) | 21:00, 6 October 2026 | UK clocks change on 25 October |
| Eastern Daylight Time (EDT, UTC−4) | 16:00, 6 October 2026 | US East Coast |
| China Standard Time (UTC+8) | 04:00, Wednesday 7 October 2026 | Next calendar day |
Why this fixture needs only one European conversion: it falls entirely inside the summer-time window. For a 20:45 local kick-off in October, the UTC time is 18:45; after the clocks change it becomes 19:45 — the same local time, a different offset. That shift is what changes the November fixtures in our 2026/27 UEFA Nations League fixture guide, which lists the CEST and CET dates side by side.
Argentina’s three-match October window
Argentina play three home friendlies in this window. Messi is in the squad only for the Benin match; Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso are also listed for that fixture alone.
| Date (local) | Fixture | Venue | Messi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 30 September 2026 | Argentina v Bolivia | Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Córdoba | Not in the squad |
| Saturday 3 October 2026 | Argentina v Burkina Faso | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires | Not in the squad |
| Tuesday 6 October 2026 | Argentina v Benin | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires | 208th and final cap |
The Córdoba fixture is being played with stadium capacity reduced by 50% under a FIFA sanction. The two Monumental matches are unaffected.
Argentina’s football association invited every member of the 2022 World Cup-winning squad, and their families, to attend the Benin match. Ángel Di María has said he will be at the stadium. Association president Claudio Tapia described the fixture as the last dance of the best player in the world.
What is different about the farewell shirt
The special-edition design departs from Argentina’s usual striped template in several specific ways:
— A single broad white stripe through the centre of a sky-blue base, instead of the usual run of narrow vertical stripes
— Tonal rays inspired by the Sun of May radiating across the front and back of the torso
— The name and number printed in gold: “MESSI” above a gold No. 10 on the back
— A Sun of May rendered around the number on the back panel, with a small Sun of May emblem below the rear collar
— Messi’s personal “M” mark in metallic gold on the right chest, in place of the manufacturer’s performance logo
— The Argentina crest on the left chest, finished in gold with three stars
— A black crew-neck collar and sleeve cuffs, each finished with a gold edge
The design was previewed on social media on 22 September 2026, with the caption “One last match… A jersey for a lifetime.”
The three fits available
| Fit | Sizes on the product page | Number options | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s | S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL | MESSI 10 / blank / your own name | €47.77 |
| Women’s | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL | MESSI 10 / blank / your own name | €47.77 |
| Youth | 3–4, 5–6, 7–8, 9–10, 11–12, 13–14 years | MESSI 10 / blank / your own name | €47.77 |
Sizes and stock are shown per listing. The number option is selected on the product page before checkout, because each option is a separate size run.
Messi’s Argentina record
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Argentina caps | 207 before this match; 208 after it |
| International goals | 125 |
| International assists | 68 |
| Debut | 17 August 2005, aged 18, v Hungary |
| World Cup tournaments | 6 |
| World Cup finals | 3 — 2014, 2022, 2026 (won 2022) |
| Major honours with Argentina | World Cup 2022; Copa América 2021 and 2024; Finalissima 2022; Olympic gold 2008; U20 World Cup 2005 |
| Argentina record status | Most-capped player and record goalscorer |
Messi announced his retirement from international football on 31 August 2026, after Argentina’s 1–0 defeat by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. The Benin friendly was arranged afterwards so that he could close his international career at home.
Will Argentina retire the No. 10 shirt?
Argentina’s association has previously said the No. 10 would be withdrawn when Messi’s international career ended. In practice a national team number cannot be permanently removed: FIFA regulations for the World Cup require squad numbers to run consecutively, so a shirt number has to be allocated to somebody.
Argentina has been here before. The association moved to retire the No. 10 after Diego Maradona’s international career ended, and Ariel Ortega still wore it at the 2002 World Cup. Argentina’s next major tournament is the 2028 Copa América.
Frequently asked questions
When is Messi’s final Argentina match?
Tuesday 6 October 2026, in the friendly against Benin at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
What time is kick-off?
20:00 UTC, which is 17:00 in Buenos Aires, 22:00 CEST in central Europe, 21:00 BST in the UK and 16:00 EDT on the US East Coast. In China the match starts at 04:00 on 7 October 2026. Confirm the exact window with your local broadcaster.
Where is the match being played?
The Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, River Plate’s home ground, which holds about 85,000 spectators.
Which cap number is this for Messi?
His 208th and final Argentina cap, extending a record he already holds. He has scored 125 international goals.
Will Messi play in Argentina’s other October friendlies?
No. He is in the squad only for the Benin match. He will not feature against Bolivia on 30 September or against Burkina Faso on 3 October.
What shirt will Messi wear?
A special-edition Argentina design with a single broad white central stripe, tonal Sun of May rays, and the name and No. 10 printed in gold.
Will the Argentina No. 10 be retired?
It cannot be permanently retired while FIFA squad-number rules require consecutive numbers at the World Cup. Argentina faced the same situation after Diego Maradona’s international career ended.
Is Messi retiring from club football too?
No. He is retiring only from international duty and continues to play club football.
Related pages
Shop the Argentina farewell shirt
The special-edition farewell design is in stock in three fits. Each listing can be ordered with MESSI 10, blank, or your own name and number — choose the option and size on the product page.
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Shop the 2026/27 Argentina home shirt with Messi 10
Separate from the gold farewell design above, the standard 2026/27 Argentina home shirt — the kit the squad wears as reigning world champions, with the third star above the crest — is also in the store with Messi 10 printed on the back, in men’s, women’s and kids’ fits.
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