Lionel Messi's long international journey with Argentina is approaching its curtain call, with BBC Sport reporting that his farewell on home soil is set to come in a friendly against Benin. At 39, the World Cup winner is entering a new chapter that stretches well beyond the pitch.
According to BBC Sport, Messi is already building a life after international football that spans ownership, business and continued playing duties. The report outlines his evolving role as a club owner, his various commercial ventures, and his ongoing commitment to playing at club level even as his Argentina career winds down.
The Benin friendly is expected to serve as an emotional send-off for one of the greatest players of his generation, closing out a golden era for Argentine football that included that long-awaited World Cup triumph in Qatar.
While the BBC's report doesn't detail the exact scope of Messi's business dealings, it frames this moment as the end of an international chapter rather than the end of his footballing or public life altogether — with ownership and entrepreneurial ambitions reportedly set to define his next phase.