Argentina vs Benin - prediction, team news, lineups

Lionel Messi volition marque his 208th and last Argentina quality erstwhile Lionel Scaloni's charges instrumentality connected Benin successful Tuesday's affable successful Buenos Aires.

The contention volition instrumentality spot astatine the iconic Estadio Monumental, wherever Messi has played 28 times successful his planetary career. 

Match preview

Messi is acceptable to officially bring the curtain down connected his 19-year Argentina vocation aft announcing his retirement from planetary shot successful August.

The 39-year-old's determination confirmed the World Cup last decision to Spain arsenic his past competitory crippled successful planetary football, but helium volition marque 1 final, affectional quality for his state successful Tuesday's clash against Benin, a crippled that volition beryllium a nighttime of appreciation for Argentina's top ever footballer.

Messi volition permission the planetary country arsenic Argentina's grounds goalscorer and all-time quality holder aft netting 125 goals successful 207 appearances, including 21 successful 34 World Cup games.

The 39-year-old scored 7 of those 21 strikes erstwhile helium fired Argentina to World Cup glory successful 2022, which ended his country's 36-year hold for the eventual prize successful football.

Messi, who besides won 2 Copa America trophies and a Finalissima during his stellar planetary career, joins his Argentina teammates successful red-hot signifier aft netting 12 goals successful 13 appearances for Inter Miami since the World Cup final, including a extremity successful each of his past 4 outings.

Prior to Messi's arrival, Argentina returned to enactment with 2 emphatic victories, a 4-0 occurrence against Bolivia and a mammoth 7-0 triumph against Burkina Faso, who tract an inexperienced lineup owed to question issues.

Scaloni's charges volition beryllium dense favourites for Argentina's archetypal gathering with Benin, with Messi hoping to motion disconnected by scoring against a 64th antithetic federation successful his glittering planetary career. 

While the absorption whitethorn beryllium connected Messi, Benin volition privation to enactment connected a beardown show successful a high-profile fixture against a federation ranked 87 places supra them successful the FIFA World Rankings.

After losing 5-1 to Togo successful their last affable of the June planetary window, Benin returned to enactment with a hard-fought 1-1 gully against Burkina Faso successful their archetypal qualification lucifer for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

They past went 1 measurement further to prime up a invaluable 2-1 triumph successful their location clash against Mauritania past Saturday.

Charlotte FC's Rodolfo Aloko netted a brace to instrumentality his federation to 4 points from 2 games successful their quest to scope back-to-back AFCONs.

That awesome triumph represented the archetypal clip they person scored much than 1 extremity successful a crippled since a ascendant 4-0 triumph implicit Lesotho successful September 2025.

They person besides conceded nary much than 1 extremity successful 5 of their past six games, though they volition recognise that it volition beryllium immensely hard to forestall Argentina from scoring aggregate goals successful Messi's farewell match. 

Argentina International Friendlies form:

Argentina signifier (all competitions):

Benin International Friendlies form:

Benin signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Villarreal defender Juan Foyth and River Plate attacker Thiago Almada withdrew from Argentina's archetypal squad owed to injury.

Left-back Nicolas Tagliafico is simply a uncertainty for Tuesday's fixture, having been forced to beryllium retired the wins implicit Bolivia and Burkina Faso with an wounded issue. 

Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso could diagnostic successful the starting lineup aft being omitted from the past 2 friendlies arsenic Scaloni took the accidental to measure different players.

Messi volition undoubtedly commencement his farewell game, with Lautaro Martinez apt to marque mode for the Inter Miami star.

Nicolas Otamendi is besides successful enactment to marque his last planetary appearance, having specifically linked up with the squad for Tuesday's fixture pursuing his status announcement successful July. 

As for Benin, right-back Abdoul Rachid Moumini has been incapable to question to Argentina owed to administrative issues.

Dokou Dodo has had to instrumentality to his club, Arab Contractors, aft making substitute appearances successful Benin's archetypal 2 friendlies of the planetary window. 

Forward Sahid Ngobi, who has made 3 planetary appearances, was precocious added to the squad for the travel to Buenos Aires. 

Argentina imaginable starting lineup:

Martinez; Giay, Otamendi, Romero, Medina; De Paul, Mac Allister, Lo Celso, Paz; Messi, Alvarez

Benin imaginable starting lineup:

Djandjinou; Azongnitode, Roche, Tijani, Ourou; Hassane, D'Almeida; Aloko, Olaitan, Ourorou; Tosin

We say: Argentina 4-0 Benin

While Messi's farewell volition beryllium the main focus, Argentina volition inactive privation to people the peculiar juncture with a win. 

Given their dominance successful the past 2 games, we expect the hosts to make plentifulness of chances for an in-form Messi to adhd to his planetary tally it what should beryllium a commanding victory. 

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