The Argentine National Team will return to action after the 2026 World Cup with a FIFA matchday that will mark the end of one era and the beginning of another. Lionel Messi has already announced that he will not continue playing for the Albiceleste, though he will still have one last night with the national team.
The schedule will have a unique feature: Argentina will play two matches without its captain and then bid an official farewell to Messi. The first match will be on September 30 against Bolivia at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium in Córdoba. On October 3, they will face Burkina Faso at the Monumental.
Three days later, the same venue will host Benin for Messi’s final match with the national team.
Two Matches to Start Without the Captain
The matches against Bolivia and Burkina Faso will be Argentina’s first tests following the World Cup and, at the same time, the only ones in this series in which Messi will not play.
Lionel Scaloni will have the opportunity to see how the team performs without the player who for years played a central role in its success. He’ll also have to do so without Rodrigo De Paul or Giovani Lo Celso, who were called up exclusively for the farewell match against Benin. Nicolás Otamendi joined the squad later with the same goal in mind.
The goal will be to start testing different combinations, distributing responsibilities, and evaluating players who could become regulars in the coming years. Scaloni has already spoken about the need to make room for new players. “From now on, we’re entering a new phase; we’re going to give that a chance,” the coach explained.
He also made it clear that age will not be the only criterion for deciding who stays or who joins the national team. Performance at the club level and the coaching staff’s assessment will be decisive factors.
Among the names beginning to gain traction are Nicolás Paz, Franco Mastantuono, Giuliano Simeone, Valentín Barco, Matías Soulé, Gianluca Prestianni, Santiago Castro, Agustín Giay, and Román Vega. The roster also included the returns of Leonardo Balerdi and Juan Foyth, in addition to new additions.
The Monumental Prepares for Messi’s Farewell
October 6 will be a night like no other. Messi will once again don the Argentine jersey to bid farewell to the crowd at the Monumental, accompanied by several of the players with whom he shared the most important moments in the national team’s recent history. Claudio Tapia explained that the AFA decided to invite the captain to give him the farewell he believes he deserves. The Qatar 2022 World Cup champions and their families were also invited.
Rodrigo De Paul will be there exclusively for that match and acknowledged that he doesn’t want to get too far ahead of himself about what will happen that night, given how emotionally charged it will be. For the midfielder, Messi represents much more than goals, assists, and titles. He is the player who has been a part of a generation’s dreams and hopes for two decades.
Lautaro Martínez also acknowledged the impact of the retirement announcement. The forward explained that the team knew this moment might come, but that the news hit hard because of everything Messi represents for the national team and for Argentina.
The Inter forward also said he had the opportunity to speak with Messi to thank him for the way he taught and guided the team toward victory. Thus, the match against Benin will have a dual significance: it will be the captain’s farewell and, at the same time, a reunion between a generation that defined an era and the players who are beginning to take the reins.
Scaloni Also Faces a Decision About His Own Future
As Argentina begins to look for answers without Messi, Scaloni faces a decision about his future with the team. The coach’s contract runs through December, and he has not yet confirmed whether he will remain at the helm of the national team. After several weeks without speaking publicly, he addressed the issue again and left open the possibility of continuing.
“We’ll give it a try, whether we’re there or not. That’s not what matters,” Scaloni said.
The coach also acknowledged that it will be difficult to replicate a run as successful as the one Argentina enjoyed in recent years. The national team won three consecutive titles between 2021 and 2024 and reached another World Cup final in 2026. Now a new chapter begins, with the need to forge new partnerships and find new leaders.
Scaloni also highlighted the importance of the national team’s environment in allowing Messi to play at his best. For the coach, the camaraderie and relationships among the players were fundamental elements throughout the process. That aspect will be part of the task ahead: integrating new players, building new partnerships, and maintaining a sense of identity within the group.
The transition is already underway
The roster reflects that the renewal is no longer just a future possibility but has begun to take shape. The AFA expanded the roster with nine players, including Santiago Simón, Ezequiel Fernández, Valentín Gómez, and players from the domestic league such as Leonel Flores of Boca, Tomás Palacios of Estudiantes, and Tobías Andrada of River.
There are also some notable absences. Leandro Paredes received a ten-game suspension; Nahuel Molina, a seven-game suspension; and Thiago Almada, a one-game suspension, due to the incidents following the World Cup final. Paredes also left open the possibility that his future with the national team may need to be discussed with Scaloni.
Meanwhile, Lautaro Martínez will need to take on a greater leadership role, Julián Álvarez will continue as the main offensive threat, and Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister are expected to be key players in the midfield. Cristian Romero is one of the names mentioned as a possible candidate for the new captaincy, although there is still no official announcement regarding Messi’s successor.
The No. 10 jersey also remains a source of speculation. The AFA has not yet announced who will wear it permanently.
A FIFA Matchday Between Two Generations
The upcoming schedule of matches encapsulates the current situation facing Argentina.
On September 30, in Córdoba, the national team will play without Messi for the first time since the World Cup. On October 3, they’ll do it again against Burkina Faso. And on the 6th, at the Monumental, the captain will return to play his final match in an Argentina jersey. These will be three matches with different objectives.
Bolivia and Burkina Faso will serve to begin figuring out how the team will function without Messi and which players can take on new responsibilities. Benin, on the other hand, will feature the captain, who has decided to end his international career, as the main protagonist.
Messi had already foreshadowed the generational shift when he announced his retirement and acknowledged that players were coming up behind him who deserved their chance. Now, Scaloni will have to see who is ready to fill those roles.
The new Argentina team has not yet taken its final shape. Scaloni’s future remains unconfirmed, there is no official new captain, and the No. 10 jersey still awaits a permanent owner.
What the national team does have is an initial roadmap: two matches to begin life without Messi and one final night to bid farewell to the player who, for two decades, embodied a huge part of their hopes and dreams.
The end of an era already has a date, a stadium, and an opponent. The beginning of the next one will start to take shape in Córdoba and Buenos Aires.
