Report: Argentina could hand Lionel Messi a farewell match during next FIFA window

Argentina could organize a farewell match for Lionel Messi during the upcoming FIFA international window, according to Mariano Antico, the national team insider for TyC Sports. The report comes just days after Messi announced his retirement from the Albiceleste on August 31, closing the book on a 207-cap career that included 125 goals and six titles, most notably the 2022 World Cup.

The idea centers on the September 21-October 6 FIFA window, during which Argentina is expected to schedule as many as three or four friendlies. Reports have floated El Monumental as a candidate venue for what would be Messi’s true farewell appearance on home soil, following his emotional letter announcing the decision.

Antico was careful to frame the plan as still just an idea at this stage, stressing that the Argentine Football Association would first need to confirm whether Messi himself is even open to the concept before any organization could begin.

Nothing has been finalized regarding a rival, date, or venue, and the tribute match remains contingent on discussions between the federation and Messi that have yet to take place.

If the plan does come together, it would give Argentine fans the chance to say a formal goodbye to their captain in a way the World Cup final defeat to Spain did not allow. For now, though, the farewell match remains speculative, with the AFA expected to provide more clarity as the September FIFA window approaches.

Who takes over the captaincy?

With Messi’s international career over, the next question becomes who inherits the armband. Cristian Romero looks like the leading candidate, having already worn the captain’s band on a handful of occasions when Messi wasn’t available, and he’s regarded as a natural leader in the dressing room alongside his role at Atletico Madrid.

Still, he’s not the only name in the conversation, with Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez and Enzo Fernandez also mentioned as possible successors given their standing and experience within the squad.

Complicating the picture further, Nicolas Otamendi, who typically wore the armband whenever Messi wasn’t in the starting lineup, had already announced his own retirement from the national team right after the World Cup, leaving Argentina without its usual next-in-line option as it enters a new era.