De Paul, Lo Celso Could Bow Out With Messi Too
Lionel Messi's farewell was never going to be a one-man show — but few expected the night to double as a possible goodbye for some of his most trusted lieutenants.
Called up for one night only
When the Argentine Football Association named its squad for this international window, one detail stood out: Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso were listed only for the final friendly, against Benin on October 6. The rest of the group would open against Bolivia in Cordoba and then face Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires — the three veterans would join last, purely for the farewell.
The arrangement was confirmed in the AFA's squad announcement, which said the two midfielders would be in attendance to take part in the final friendly, with the domestic-league call-ups to follow. De Paul and Lo Celso duly sat out the 4-0 win over Bolivia and the 7-0 rout of Burkina Faso.
What happens next is where it gets interesting. SuperSport, previewing the send-off, reported that like Messi and Otamendi, the two midfielders were called up solely for the Benin game — raising the possibility that neither will represent Argentina again. Neither player has announced anything, so the honest reading is that Tuesday could be their final cap, not that it certainly will be.
De Paul: Messi's on-field bodyguard
Few players in this Argentina era are as closely tied to Messi's success as Rodrigo De Paul. Since Lionel Scaloni made him a fixture of the midfield, De Paul has been the engine and the enforcer — the player who does the running so Messi can do the magic, and the first teammate to arrive whenever an opponent gets too close to the captain.
He started the 2022 World Cup final in Doha and has been part of every major triumph of the Scaloni era: the 2021 Copa America, the Finalissima, the World Cup and the 2024 Copa America. If the Monumental is his last night in the shirt, it would close one of the defining club-and-country partnerships of the modern game — the playmaker and his protector, side by side one final time.
De Paul's own international journey is inseparable from the farewell theme of the week. Argentina's midfield is already being rebuilt around Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, Nico Paz and Franco Mastantuono, the young talents who shone against Bolivia and Burkina Faso. Tuesday may be the symbolic moment the old guard hands the keys to the new one.
Lo Celso and the road back
Giovani Lo Celso's Argentina story has always been quieter than De Paul's, but no less woven into the Scaloni project. A technically gifted midfielder trusted by the coach since the rebuild began, Lo Celso has been a squad constant through the trophy years — the kind of player coaches value even when he does not make the headlines.
His inclusion for the farewell alone speaks to his standing inside the group. Players are not handed ceremonial recalls by accident, and Lo Celso's presence alongside Messi and De Paul suggests Scaloni wanted the night's midfield to feel like the old days — the core that carried Argentina to the top of the world, reunited for ninety more minutes.
Whether he plays another competitive match for Argentina after Tuesday is now one of the window's open questions. With the 2028 Copa America the next major target and a wave of young midfielders pushing through, the Benin friendly may prove to be a natural full stop.
Otamendi's own goodbye
The farewell is not even limited to the midfield. Nicolas Otamendi, Messi's long-time vice-captain and the defensive leader of the golden generation, is also expected to end his international career after the Benin match, according to Foot Africa. Striver.football went further, describing the veteran defender as having been included specifically for his own farewell.
Otamendi's recall for this window always carried a ceremonial air. He was not part of the Bolivia or Burkina Faso plans in any competitive sense; he is here so that his service — stretching back more than a decade as Argentina's defensive anchor — gets the send-off it deserves in front of a home crowd.
His departure completes a remarkable leadership reset. Cristian Romero is set to inherit the captain's armband from Messi, with Emiliano Martinez and Lautaro Martinez next in the hierarchy. Between Messi, Otamendi and potentially De Paul and Lo Celso, Tuesday could mark the end of an entire era in a single evening.
Dybala and Molina watch from afar
Not every veteran gets the farewell they might have wanted. AS Roma refused Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina permission to travel to Buenos Aires for the occasion, as reported earlier this week. Both had been invited as guests rather than players — Dybala has not been called up since September 2024, while Molina is serving a seven-match FIFA suspension following the World Cup final altercation with Spain.
Their absence sharpens the contrast with De Paul, Lo Celso and Otamendi, who will be inside the Monumental living the moment. Football rarely offers clean endings, and Tuesday will be a reminder that some goodbyes happen by invitation and others by circumstance.
A farewell bigger than one man
What began as Messi's night has quietly become something larger: a collective farewell to the group that defined Argentine football for the better part of a decade. Close to 85,000 supporters will fill the Monumental, members of the 2022 World Cup-winning squad and their families will be in attendance, and Angel Di Maria — retired from internationals since 2024 — will be there to witness the passing of the torch.
Scaloni, who is himself negotiating a contract extension after leaving his future unresolved following the World Cup final defeat, captured the mood: "It's going to be an unforgettable day for everyone. Everyone wants to be at this match, and now it's just about enjoying it."
For De Paul and Lo Celso, the instruction is simple: enjoy it, because it might be the last time. Whatever Tuesday brings, the farewell group will walk out together — and some of them may never walk back in.
Questions people ask
Are Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso retiring from Argentina?
No. Neither has announced anything. The AFA listed them only for the October 6 fixture, and SuperSport noted the arrangement raises the possibility that Tuesday is their final international appearance. Read it as informed speculation, not confirmation.
Is Nicolas Otamendi definitely retiring?
Foot Africa reports Otamendi is expected to bring his international career to an end after the Benin match, while striver.football describes him as included for his own farewell. He has served as Messi's vice-captain and the squad's defensive leader for a decade.
Why did De Paul and Lo Celso skip the Bolivia and Burkina Faso games?
The AFA announced at the start of the window that Messi, De Paul and Lo Celso would join only for the final friendly on October 6, while the rest of the squad handled the Bolivia and Burkina Faso matches first.
Will Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina play in the farewell?
Roma refused both players permission to travel, and neither was expected to play anyway — Dybala has not been called up since September 2024, while Molina is serving a seven-match FIFA suspension. They were invited as guests of the farewell instead.
When and where is Messi's farewell match?
Kickoff is 20:00 local time on Tuesday, October 6 at the Estadio Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires, in front of close to 85,000 supporters.
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