(FILES) Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi reacts during the 2026 World Cup football tournament final match between Spain and Argentina at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on July 19, 2026. It will be both a farewell and the start of a new era: Lionel Messi will bid farewell to the Argentina national football team in a friendly match against Benin on October 6, 2026, at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, where a large celebration is expected to pay tribute to the Argentine star. (Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP via Getty Images)