One last Argentina match: Messi named for the Oct. 6 farewell, with Cruz Azul up next

Lionel Messi has accepted Argentina's invitation to play a farewell match against Benin on Oct. 6 at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, AFA president Claudio Tapia said on Tuesday, confirming the 39-year-old's place in Lionel Scaloni's 28-man squad. Inter Miami's week now runs straight from that announcement into the Campeones Cup final against Cruz Azul, where Cristian "Kily" González takes charge of the team for the first time. 1234

"After a conversation with senior national team coach Lionel Scaloni, we decided to invite the best player in the world — our icon, our captain Lionel Messi — so that he can have the farewell he deserves on October 6," Tapia said. He added that he would invite every member of the 2022 World Cup-winning squad, with their families, to what he called the last tango of the best player in the world. 15

Messi retired from international football last month after a 21-year Argentina career that took in the 2022 World Cup and Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024. He is the country's all-time leading scorer with 125 goals, and the Benin match is expected to be his 208th and final cap. 2

The three friendlies are Argentina's first matches since the World Cup final loss to Spain, and all three are at home.

Kickoff times have not been announced. The Monumental holds 85,000, and the opener against Bolivia in Córdoba will be played with capacity cut to 50 percent under a FIFA disciplinary sanction on the AFA. 2

The squad brings in fresh call-ups Román Vega (Zenit), Matías Soulé (Roma), Franco Mastantuono (Fiorentina), Gianluca Prestianni (Benfica) and Santiago Castro (Roma), with returns for Agustín Giay (Palmeiras) and Leonardo Balerdi (Roma). Inter Miami's Rodrigo De Paul is in it as well. Leandro Paredes, Nahuel Molina and Thiago Almada are missing while they serve FIFA bans of 10 matches, seven matches and one match. 25 Scaloni's contract expires in December, and he had hinted he might step down after the World Cup final. 1

Inter Miami host Cruz Azul at Nu Stadium on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, which is Thursday morning at 8 a.m. in Asia/Shanghai on Apple TV. It is the first championship match played at the stadium. 67

The match is González's first in the dugout. Inter Miami agreed terms with him on Aug. 27, but he could only take over once his work permit came through; he landed in Miami on Tuesday morning and ran his first training session the same day, under a contract running through June 2028. He played alongside Messi for Argentina in two 2005 World Cup qualifiers. 34

"There are things in football that simply cannot be described in words; they are unique feelings," González said. "I feel privileged and blessed to have this opportunity and to share the fantastic relationship I have with Leo." 4

Luis Suárez said the squad wants to use the final as a starting point. "When it comes to playing a match like this, it's a final. There is no time to dwell on the past," he said. Miami has won once in its last nine matches in all competitions and sits second in the Eastern Conference with 45 points from 25 games. 4

Both clubs have confirmed their squads for the match. Messi and De Paul lead Inter Miami's list, alongside Suárez, Casemiro and Germán Berterame. Cruz Azul's includes captain Érik Lira, a 2026 Liga MX All-Star, plus Nicolás Ibáñez, Kevin Mier, Alan Mozo, Willer Ditta, Gonzalo Piovi, Carlos Rotondi, José Paradela and Gabriel Fernández. 8

Cruz Azul arrive as Liga MX champions, having beaten Toluca 3-1 in July's Campeón de Campeones, and beat rivals Club América 4-3 in the Clásico Joven last weekend. "My primary goal is to be champion in the Campeones Cup," defender Alan Mozo told Record. "We play against Inter Miami. I think it's the first international title, one more for this great club." 39

Wednesday's match is the eighth edition of the single-match cup between the reigning MLS and Liga MX champions, and Liga MX clubs have won four of the previous seven. The only previous meeting between these two teams came on Messi's Inter Miami debut on July 21, 2023, in the Leagues Cup: he came off the bench, and his free kick in the fourth minute of stoppage time won it 2-1. 3

Inter Miami also confirmed his 10th selection of the season in the MLS Team of the Matchday, for Matchday 26, after he forced an own goal from a corner and scored in the 2-2 draw with Nashville SC. MLS listed him among the substitutes for that matchday. 1012

Messi needs one goal to reach 100 for Inter Miami, and a win on Wednesday would give him a fourth trophy with the club and the 48th of his career. 711