Soccer-Messi called up by Argentina for farewell appearance following international retirement

Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Final - Spain v Argentina - New York/New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S. - July 19, 2026 Argentina's Lionel Messi in action REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli

Sept ⁠15 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi ⁠has been called ‌up by Argentina for a farewell appearance ​in a home ⁠friendly ⁠in October following his ⁠international retirement, ‌Argentine Football ⁠Association (AFA) president Claudio Tapia ​confirmed ‌on Tuesday.

"We invited the ⁠best ​player in the world to ⁠play, our captain ​Lionel Andres Messi, to have a ⁠deserved farewell on October 6, here in Argentina," ​Tapia said ⁠on social media.

(Reporting ​by Angelica ‌Medina in ​Mexico CityEditing by Toby Davis)