Argentina includes Messi in preliminary squad for potential farewell home appearances

Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football on August 31, 2026. Less than a month later, he might be stepping back onto an Argentine pitch one more time. The Argentina Football Association has included Messi in its preliminary squad for a trio of home friendlies scheduled across the FIFA international window running from September 21 to October 6. The move signals a clear desire from the AFA to give their greatest-ever player a proper farewell in front of his own fans, after a World Cup campaign that ended in heartbreak. Three matches, one last chance Argentina’s post-World Cup restart comes with a busy schedule. The first match is against Bolivia on September 30 at Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba. That is followed by back-to-back fixtures at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, against Burkina Faso on October 3 and Benin on October 6. The Bolivia fixture comes with a notable asterisk. Attendance will be capped at 50% capacity due to FIFA sanctions, meaning the Kempes stadium will be only half-full for what could be Messi’s penultimate bow. The Monumental games, however, carry no such restriction. These three friendlies are the first competitive outings...