October 6, 2026
The upcoming farewell of Argentine star Lionel Messi is witnessing unprecedented public interest, as the number of applicants via the electronic ticket sales platform has exceeded half a million people, an indicator that the famous sports commentator Ariel Sinosyan considered evidence of the fans’ overwhelming desire to document this historic moment, stressing that the stadium would have been filled to capacity even if its capacity had reached 200,000 spectators. In the same context, the coach of the Argentine national team, Lionel Scaloni, confirmed that “it was possible to fill 5 stadiums” with fans wishing to attend the last match of his country’s icon.
As Monumental Stadium, the home of River Plate, prepares to receive about 85,000 fans, the Argentine Football Association announced the allocation of a huge fan area bearing the slogan “Gracias, Leo” (Thank you Leo) near the stadium, starting at noon on the day of the match.
In terms of field and ceremonial preparations, the Argentine national team players will wear special shirts designed specifically for this occasion, featuring names and numbers in gold. The Federation also sent an official invitation to all players of the team that won the 2022 World Cup, who were absent from the current roster, to attend the match with their families and participate in honoring their colleague.
Despite the official secrecy about the full details of the farewell ceremony, Argentine media revealed a huge celebratory program for the American Inter Miami star, which includes artistic performances prior to the starting whistle, with the major honoring ceremonies taking place after the end of the match.
According to the “TYC Sports” channel, the celebration includes giving Messi a commemorative plaque and special T-shirts, in addition to showing a documentary video clip on the stadium’s major screens, and the player giving a farewell speech in front of the gathered fans.
It is noteworthy that Messi, a native of the city of Rosario, joined the “Tango Dancers” camp last Sunday, where he participated in his first training session and shared a traditional barbecue meal with his colleagues. On Monday, he will participate in his last training session in the national team’s shirt, thus bringing down the curtain on an exceptional international career full of titles and achievements.
