Lionel Messi picked for Argentina squad despite announcing international retirement: What exactly happened?

Lionel Messi has been recalled to Argentina squad for their friendly against Benin on October 6. The star footballer

, with the FIFA World Cup 2026 final being considered his last assignment with the national team. However, he has now been picked again as Argentina organise a farewell match for one of their greatest ever.

The match is slated to take place at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. 85,000 fans are expected to attend the event to bid farewell to Messi. Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia has confirmed the development, saying Messi is a symbol of the national team.

“We made the decision to invite the best player in the world, the symbol of our national team, our captain, Lionel Andres Messi, so that he can have the farewell he truly deserves on 6 October here in Argentina,” Tapia said.

Meanwhile, after the FIFA World Cup ended, Messi lost his father and soon after that, the Inter Miami forward announced that he was reflecting on his future in football. Soon after that, he called his time on his international career, saying he had "given it my all" and had "nothing left to give".

Messi leaves an extraordinary international record behind him. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is Argentina’s leading scorer and most-capped player, with 125 goals in 207 appearances. He also captained the side to the 2022 World Cup title. After taking Argentina to another final of the World Cup, he has once again been shortlisted as one of the probables to win the Ballon d’Or.

Meanwhile, the October fixture is being planned as a celebration of Messi’s international career, with Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad also invited to the occasion. Tapia described the planned event as an "unforgettable" one.

The team will play Bolivia in Cordoba on 30 September before facing Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires on 3 October. Those matches are expected to allow the team to complete a home-match punishment before the Benin fixture.

They had been ordered to stage their next two home games at 50% capacity because of breaches of FIFA’s disciplinary code during the World Cup, although one match of the sanction was suspended. The case involved team misconduct, discriminatory chants and gestures, and the use of a sporting event for non-sporting demonstrations.