(FILES) Argentinian forward Lionel Messi runs with the ball during the World Cup 2006 round of 16 football game Argentina vs. Mexico, 24 June 2006 at Leipzig stadium. AFP PHOTO / PATRIK STOLLARZ. It will be both a farewell and the start of a new era: Lionel Messi will bid farewell to the Argentina national football team in a friendly match against Benin on October 6, 2026, at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, where a large celebration is expected to pay tribute to the Argentine star. (Photo by Patrik STOLLARZ / AFP via Getty Images)