Argentine captain Lionel Messi will probably play his final official match for the national team on home ground on September 5 at 5am (IST), when the Albiceleste host Venezuela for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers at the famous Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires.
According to reports, Argentina’s upcoming game against Venezuela on September 4 at 8 pm (ART) will be Leo Messi’s last official match with the National Team in Buenos Aires.
Although neither the football superstar himself nor the Argentine Football Association (AFA) have confirmed the reports, it has made football fans around the world emotional.
Lionel Messi marked 20 years in the Argentine shirt two days ago, on August 17, 2025. He made his debut in 2005 in a friendly match against Hungary and the rest is history.
Twenty years later, Messi is one of the world's most-celebrated and worshipped footballers, having won two Copa America trophies (2021, 2024) and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar where the Argentine legend displayed some of his finest footballing skills.
While the former Barcelona player is expected to appear in the remaining fixtures of the World Cup Qualifiers and also play in the upcoming 2026 World Cup, reports suggest that chances of him returning to Buenos Aires as part of the squad, are bleak.
The 2026 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States and will take place from June 11, 2026 to June 19, 2026 as 48 teams fight it out for the ultimate prize football has to offer.
While fans are sad to hear of his final appearance in Buenos Aires early next month, they hope that the star will be part of the 2026 World Cup team as Argentina look to defend their title.
Argentina, under the powerful captaincy of Lionel Messi and skilful guidance of coach Lionel Scaloni, clinched the golden trophy at the previous edition of World Cup after a long, 36 year wait. La Pulga, as Messi is lovingly called by fans, had a stellar tournament with a record four Man of the Match awards. He went on to win the Golden Ball, awarded to the best player of the tournament at the end of the campaign.
While Messi's future with Argentina is in limbo, fans in India are more thrilled about his upcoming visit to India in December. His four-city tour, dubbed the "GOAT Tour of India 2025" has received confirmation, with the legendary footballer set to visit India from December 12 to 15.
Messi will visit India for the first time since 2011 and will travel to Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. The tour will kick off in Kolkata where he will unveil a giant 25-foot mural of himself.
While there has been no official confirmation on his retirement yet, it is true that the time for Lionel Messi to hang his boots after a glorious career, is drawing near. We can only hope to see more LM10 magic on field for many more years to come, but when the day arrives finally, fans should not have any regrets for he has given football more than anyone could ever ask for.
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