Buenos Aires:Argentine football icon Lionel Messi is preparing for his last international appearance as Argentina faces Benin in a friendly match on Wednesday.

According to Anadolu Agency, the match will take place at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, the largest stadium in South America, with a capacity of around 85,000. The game is scheduled to start at 2 am Türkiye time (2300 GMT Tuesday).

The Monumental Stadium has been significant in Messi's career, as it is the venue where he has scored the most goals for Argentina. Over 28 appearances there, Messi has achieved 22 wins and six draws without suffering a defeat, scoring 19 goals. He netted his first goal at this stadium against Uruguay in a 2008 World Cup qualifier and later scored hat-tricks against Bolivia in 2021 and 2024.

Messi's international career spans 21 years, during which he set numerous records and won several trophies. He holds Argentina's all-time appearance record with 207 matches and is the highest-scoring South American player in international football with 125 goals. His achievements include one FIFA World Cup, two Copa America titles, one Finalissima, one Olympic gold medal, and one FIFA U-20 World Cup.

The 2026 World Cup marked the last major tournament of Messi's international career, where he led Argentina to the final but they lost 1-0 to Spain in extra time. Despite the loss, Messi scored eight goals during the tournament.

Messi also holds the record for the most World Cup appearances, having played 34 matches across six World Cups from 2006 to 2026. He achieved 23 wins, five draws, and six defeats, scoring seven goals in Argentina's victorious 2022 campaign and eight in the 2026 tournament. With a total of 21 World Cup goals, he is second on the all-time scoring list, behind France's Kylian Mbappe, who has 22.