Twenty-one years after Lionel Messi first etched his name into global football folklore by lifting the FIFA Under-20 World Cup against an African opponent, another West African side will step onto the pitch to cap the closing chapter of his legendary international career. On Tuesday, Benin will face Argentina at Buenos Aires’ iconic Monumental Stadium for a star-studded farewell match celebrating the 39-year-old’s decorated tenure with the Albiceleste, where Messi will earn his 208th senior international cap.
For Benin assistant coach Tunde Adelakun, the fixture carries a perfect, full-circle symmetry that ties Messi’s entire international journey to African football. “Africa has been at the heart of Messi’s remarkable career,” Adelakun told BBC Sport Africa. “I was actually there in the stands when they beat Nigeria in that 2005 final, where he won the tournament’s most valuable player award. It’s an absolute honor that when he closes the book on his international career, Benin gets to be part of this historic moment.”
Messi first announced his retirement from international football in August 2026, following Argentina’s narrow defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in North America. As Argentina’s all-time leader in both caps and goals, the captain has notched 125 goals across his 207 previous senior appearances, a record that solidifies his status as one of the greatest players to ever represent the national side. The Argentine Football Association organized Tuesday’s tribute match to honor his legacy, with all members of the nation’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad invited to take part in the pre-match and post-match celebrations.
For Benin, a side currently ranked 93rd in the FIFA global rankings that has never qualified for a senior World Cup, the unexpected invitation to this high-profile event caught the entire program off guard. “Everybody was absolutely over the moon when we got the call,” Adelakun recalled. “It came right in the middle of our preparation for two critical Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches, but there was no question we would make the trip.” The Benin side has started its qualifying campaign strong, earning a 1-1 away draw against Burkina Faso before picking up a 2-1 victory over Mauritania in their opening two fixtures.
Benin head coach Gernot Rohr, a German manager with deep ties to African football who previously led Nigeria, acknowledged that the occasion will carry a celebratory tone, but stressed his team will not travel to Buenos Aires simply to play the role of guest opposition. “We’re here to enjoy a historic moment with Messi, but we’re also here to compete,” he noted.
The long-running connection between Messi’s international career and African opposition stretches all the way back to that 2005 Under-20 World Cup final in Utrecht. Then an 18-year-old prodigy, Messi scored two penalties to lift Argentina to a 2-1 win over Nigeria, finishing the tournament as top scorer and claiming the Golden Ball for best player. Three years later, the two sides met again in a gold medal match at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where a young Argentine side featuring Messi, Angel Di Maria, Sergio Aguero and Javier Mascherano claimed Olympic gold with a 1-0 win, powered by Di Maria’s match-winning goal.
Across six senior World Cup appearances, Messi has faced off against African opposition six times. After three consecutive meetings with Nigeria in 2010, 2014 and 2018, he faced Algeria, Cape Verde and Egypt during Argentina’s run to the 2026 World Cup final. Rohr, who coached Nigeria during the 2018 World Cup meeting in Russia – a 2-1 Argentine win where Messi scored the opening goal – has called Tuesday’s match an unparalleled “historic moment” for his current side.
Adelakun’s own personal connection to Messi dates back to that 2005 under-20 final, making the invitation even more meaningful for the Benin coaching staff. This match marks the first time Benin will ever face Argentina at the senior international level.
While Benin captain Steve Mounié, who has represented the side since 2015, will not be able to take the pitch due to injury, that has not stopped him from making the trip to South America. “When I realized I would have to miss the match, my first thought was ‘Oh no, I can’t miss this,’” Mounié explained. He ultimately paid for his own travel to be part of the occasion, and hopes to sit on the bench alongside the Benin technical staff for the match. “Football is my passion, I couldn’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime moment.”
For the Benin program, the fixture represents far more than a friendly exhibition: it is a rare opportunity to showcase the talent of the nation’s players on a global stage that few lower-ranked African sides ever get to access. “I’ve told my players over and over that this is their big chance to show what they can do to the entire world,” Adelakun said. Mounià echoed that sentiment, saying he hopes the match will “prove to the world that Benin can compete with the best teams in football.” He described the Benin side as a tight-knit unit built on collective effort: “We fight for each other, we’re a team like a family.”
Adelakun added that supporters back in Benin are far more excited about the historic occasion than they are focused on the final scoreline. “I don’t think many people back home are even talking about what the result will be,” he said. “What we’re celebrating is the fact that Benin is getting this huge moment on the international football map in such a big way.”
For Adelakun, Messi’s enduring greatness comes as much from his unmatched longevity and competitive mentality as it does from his trophy haul and goal records. “He is the very best to ever do it,” he said. “I wish he was African.”
When asked whether Benin’s players planned to compete to swap shirts with Messi after the final whistle, Mounià said the moment should be reserved entirely for the Argentine legend. “To be honest, if I was in his position, I wouldn’t give my jersey to anyone after this match,” he said. “He needs to enjoy this moment as the football legend he is, and he deserves every second of this celebration to himself.”