An Early Arrival in Rosario
Lionel Messi landed in Rosario on Friday morning aboard a private flight from the United States, ahead of the schedule his coach had outlined. He was accompanied by his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo; his children Thiago, Mateo and Ciro; and his mother, Celia Cuccittini. From the airport he traveled to his home in Funes, Santa Fe province, where he was expected to rest before joining the squad at the Ezeiza training complex.[S1][S2][S3][S5]
Coach Lionel Scaloni had said during the press conference before the Bolivia match that the captain would arrive over the weekend, after his commitments on Saturday the 3rd, though he noted Messi could play that day if he wished. The player instead chose to fly in on Friday morning, a decision that caught observers by surprise and gave him extra time at home before reporting for international duty.[S1][S2][S3][S5]
Messi is expected to link up with the group after Saturday night's friendly against Burkina Faso at the Monumental, which would leave him only one training session alongside his teammates before taking the field for the last time in the light blue and white shirt. There is also speculation that he could watch Saturday's match from a box at the stadium.[S1][S2][S3][S5]
The Farewell Match and Its Tributes
The farewell is set for Tuesday at 20:00 at the Monumental, where Argentina will face Benin. All available tickets have sold out, and the tribute is expected to involve both the current squad and the players who won the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. More than 80,000 fans are anticipated at River Plate's ground for the occasion.[S1][S2][S3]
The Argentine Football Association confirmed the referees for both friendlies. Chilean official Fernando Véjar will take charge of the Benin match, while José Cabero will handle the Burkina Faso game on Saturday at 21:00, with the two roles reversed between the fixtures.[S1][S2][S3]
A Record Career Nears Its End
At 39, Messi reaches his farewell after 207 appearances and 125 goals for Argentina, figures that make him the most capped player and the leading scorer in the team's history, as well as the man with the most World Cup participations. Across more than two decades he also provided 66 assists and was central to the Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024, the Finalissima and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.[S1][S2][S4]
He announced his retirement from the national team in an emotional letter on August 31, 33 days after Argentina's defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, a tournament in which he scored eight goals and recorded four assists. In the current FIFA window, Argentina opened with a 4-0 win over Bolivia at the Mario Alberto Kempes stadium in Córdoba, with goals from Lautaro Martínez, Nico Paz, Cristian Romero and José Manuel López.[S4]
The question of who will inherit the number 10 shirt has already begun to surface. After the Bolivia match, goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez asked publicly on Instagram whether Nico Paz was the new number 10, a comment that fueled speculation, even though Scaloni has said there will be no successor to the jersey until after October 6.[S5]
