Argentina vs Benin FAQs
Welcome to the complete questions and answers directory for the Argentina vs Benin international friendly. This hub addresses the primary inquiries football fans worldwide have submitted regarding kickoff times, television broadcast rights, live streaming platforms, stadium ticketing, Lionel Messi’s farewell participation, and confirmed squad selections.
Core Match Information & Schedule
The international friendly between Argentina and Benin is scheduled for Tuesday, 6 October 2026 at the Estadio Más Monumental in Buenos Aires. Organised within the official October FIFA international match calendar, the match serves as the climax to Argentina’s three-fixture home series following matches against Bolivia in Córdoba and Burkina Faso in Buenos Aires.
Kick-off is 20:00 on Tuesday 6 October 2026 in Buenos Aires, which is 23:00 UTC. AFA set kick-off at 20:00. The other two friendlies that week were listed at 21:00. This match is not one of those.
Broadcast & Live Streaming Clarifications
Television and streaming access for Argentina vs Benin depends on regional licensing agreements. In Argentina, the match is broadcast free-to-air on Telefe and across cable/satellite networks on TyC Sports, with authorized streaming accessible through Telefe Live, TyC Sports Play, Flow, DGO, and Telecentro Play.
Outside Argentina, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, no broadcaster had been verified for this friendly. A World Cup rights holder does not automatically own it. This site does not name a channel, and it does not link to unofficial streams, until a rights holder in that country is published.
Lionel Messi Farewell & Squad Selection
A central storyline of this friendly is captain Lionel Messi’s farewell appearance for Argentina. Following Argentina’s run to the 2026 World Cup final, Messi announced his impending international retirement. AFA President Claudio Tapia confirmed that Messi was specifically invited for this Monumental encounter so the Argentine public could celebrate his unmatched international career.
Senior regulars Rodrigo De Paul, Giovani Lo Celso, and Nicolás Otamendi were also selected specifically for the Benin fixture. Tactical lineups will be finalized approximately one hour before kickoff when official team sheets are submitted to match officials.
Ticketing, Venue & Editorial Verification
Tickets for the Más Monumental were distributed exclusively through Deportick, with reports from Argentine newsrooms confirming a complete sell-out of over 84,500 seats within two hours of launch. Supporters are cautioned against secondary ticket scalpers or unverified social media sellers.
Every answer here stays with a fact that can be checked, or it is marked to be confirmed. The guides below cover the match in more detail.
International Timezone Arithmetic for Fans Abroad
Buenos Aires is UTC−3 and does not use daylight saving, so 20:00 at the stadium is 23:00 UTC. That is 7:00pm Tuesday in New York and Toronto, midnight at the start of Wednesday in London and Dublin, 1:00am Wednesday in Berlin and Paris, and 10:00am Wednesday in Sydney. Pakistan is 4:00am and India is 4:30am on Wednesday. City pages are linked from the kick-off time page.
Review the comprehensive FAQ accordion below for answers to specific player eligibility queries, referee appointments, and historical tournament records.
Questions people ask
When is Argentina vs Benin?
Tuesday, 6 October 2026, at the Estadio Más Monumental in Buenos Aires. Kick-off is 20:00 Argentina time (23:00 UTC).
What time is kick-off?
20:00 on Tuesday 6 October 2026 in Buenos Aires, which is 23:00 UTC. AFA set that hour. The 21:00 listings were for the other friendlies.
What time is Argentina vs Benin in Pakistan?
4:00am on Wednesday 7 October 2026, Pakistan time (UTC+5). Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad share that clock.
What time is the match in India?
4:30am on Wednesday 7 October 2026, India time (UTC+5:30). That is thirty minutes after Pakistan.
What time is it in the UK?
Midnight at the start of Wednesday 7 October 2026. Britain is still on British Summer Time (UTC+1) that week. Clocks go back on 25 October.
What time is it in the USA (Eastern)?
7:00pm on Tuesday 6 October 2026, Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4). Chicago is 6:00pm, Denver 5:00pm, Los Angeles 4:00pm. US clocks change on 1 November.
What time is it in the UAE?
3:00am on Wednesday 7 October 2026 (UTC+4). Dubai is an hour later than Riyadh.
What time is it in Saudi Arabia?
2:00am on Wednesday 7 October 2026 (UTC+3).
What time is it in Nigeria?
Midnight at the start of Wednesday 7 October 2026, West Africa Time (UTC+1).
What time is it in Australia?
10:00am on Wednesday 7 October 2026 in Sydney and Melbourne (AEDT, UTC+11). Brisbane is 9:00am, Adelaide 9:30am, Perth 7:00am.
Where is the match being played?
Estadio Más Monumental, in the Núñez neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is also known as the Monumental.
Is Argentina vs Benin a World Cup match?
No. It is an international friendly. Argentina had already finished the 2026 World Cup as runners-up, after losing the final to Spain.
Did Messi play against Benin?
Yes - he played the full 90 minutes of his 208th and final Argentina appearance, scoring a 71st-minute penalty (his 126th international goal) and assisting the other two in the 3-0 win.
Is this Messi’s last game for Argentina?
That is how the September 2026 announcement was framed, after he had retired from international duty in August. Only a later statement from him could reopen it.
Is Messi playing against Bolivia?
No. Bolivia on 30 September and Burkina Faso on 3 October come first, and he was not called for those two.
Who is the Argentina coach?
Lionel Scaloni.
Who is the Benin coach?
Public team profiles in September 2026 listed Gernot Rohr. Treat that as the working name until match week confirms the dugout.
Have Argentina and Benin played before?
No previous senior meeting is on record. Of the three opponents, only Bolivia has a prior record against Argentina.
What channel is the match on in Argentina?
TyC Sports and Telefe, plus TyC Sports Play and MiTelefe. Confirm on the day.
Is there a free legal live stream?
Only if a free-to-air broadcaster shows it where you live, or an official body streams it. This site does not link to pirate streams. Telefe was the free-to-air name in the Argentine report.
Where can I watch in Pakistan?
To be confirmed. No Pakistani rights holder had been verified for this friendly.
Where can I watch in India, the UK or the USA?
To be confirmed in each country. A World Cup rights holder does not automatically own this friendly.
Are tickets still available?
The sell-out was about 85,018 tickets. Check only Deportick for any official return.
How much were Argentina vs Benin tickets?
Reported prices ran from ARS 29,000 for a child popular ticket and ARS 90,000 for a standard popular ticket up to ARS 480,000 for the top platea, plus a service fee.
Where do I buy official tickets?
Deportick was the only seller named in the AFA notices. This website does not sell tickets.
What is the stadium capacity?
About 85,000. The sell-out for this match was 85,018 tickets.
Who is the referee?
To be confirmed. No referee had been named in the sources used for this guide.
What is the predicted lineup?
A projected 4-3-3 is on the lineups: Martínez; Simón, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; Enzo, Mac Allister, De Paul; Messi, Lautaro, Álvarez. It is not a leak. Benin’s XI is unpublished.
Who is injured or banned?
Foyth and Almada are injured and are not in the squad list. Paredes and Molina are suspended and are not on the list. Enzo was banned for Bolivia only.
What is the prediction?
An Argentina win, with 2-0 or 3-0 as illustrations, not as facts. It is not a betting tip. Read the 18+ notice on the prediction page.
What are the odds?
Not published here. We explain 1X2, handicaps and totals without prices or bookmaker links. 18+ only, and only with a legal operator where you live.
What was the full-time score?
Argentina 3-0 Benin (half-time 0-0). Messi scored a 71st-minute penalty and assisted the other two goals.
Who won Argentina vs Benin?
Argentina won 3-0 at the Estadio Más Monumental on 6 October 2026 - Lionel Messi's farewell match.
Where are the highlights?
On the official broadcasters’ own channels. Our match report covers the goals and the reaction, without pirated video.
What is Argentina’s FIFA ranking?
2nd on the official list of 20 July 2026, on 1970 points, behind Spain.
What is Benin’s FIFA ranking?
93rd on that same list, on 1252 points. The next official update was due on 7 October 2026.
Is this site affiliated with FIFA or AFA?
No. It is an independent guide. It is not the Argentine Football Association, FIFA, or the Beninese Football Federation.
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