Argentina vs Benin FAQ
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 world champions Argentina and the Benin national team 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.
Fans frequently inquire about the exact kickoff time. As of late September 2026, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and host broadcasters maintain the kickoff hour as horario a definir (to be determined), with an evening fixture expected in Buenos Aires (around 21:00 ART). When the official match time is formally confirmed by AFA, our real-time countdown clocks and timezone conversion tables will update automatically.
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.
In North America, Spanish-language telecasts are planned on Telemundo and Universo with streaming on Peacock and ViX Premium, alongside English coverage via FOX Sports channels and Fubo. In Sub-Saharan Africa, national broadcaster ORTB and satellite carriers SuperSport and Canal+ Sport provide live television coverage. We strictly do not provide, index, or link to unauthorized pirated feeds, ensuring our readers access only legal, high-quality broadcasts.
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 response published in this FAQ is cross-verified against official federation communications and major newsrooms including LA NACION, Infobae, ESPN, and BBC Sport. Browse our specific category guides below for comprehensive coverage.
International Timezone Arithmetic for Fans Abroad
Because Buenos Aires operates on Argentina Time (ART, UTC−3) without daylight saving adjustments, fans across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas must convert local stadium time carefully. For example, a 21:00 ART evening kickoff in Buenos Aires translates to 01:00 BST / WAT on Wednesday, 7 October in London and Cotonou, 04:00 GST in Dubai, 05:00 PKT in Islamabad/Karachi, and 05:30 IST in New Delhi. Our dedicated kickoff page features a real-time converter that recalculates instantaneously for your location.
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. The venue is the Estadio Más Monumental in Buenos Aires. The kick-off clock is to be confirmed.
What time is kick-off?
To be confirmed. LA NACION still listed the friendlies as horario a definir on 27 September 2026, with evening kick-offs expected in Argentina.
What time is Argentina vs Benin in Pakistan?
To be confirmed. Pakistan is five hours ahead of UTC and does not change clocks. A night game in Buenos Aires falls on Wednesday morning in Pakistan. The exact hour waits on the official whistle time.
What time is the match in India?
To be confirmed. India is UTC+5:30. Use the kick-off page once kickoffISO is set in the site config. Do not copy an unofficial clock from a social post.
What time is it in the UK?
To be confirmed. On 6 October 2026 the UK is still on British Summer Time, UTC+1. Clocks go back on 25 October, so a winter conversion would be wrong.
What time is it in the USA (Eastern)?
To be confirmed. The US East Coast is still on Eastern Daylight Time on 6 October 2026. Daylight saving ends on 1 November.
What time is it in the UAE?
To be confirmed. The UAE is UTC+4 all year. A Buenos Aires night becomes early Wednesday morning in Dubai.
What time is it in Saudi Arabia?
To be confirmed. Saudi Arabia is UTC+3. The same warning applies: no official Argentina hour, no official Riyadh hour.
What time is it in Nigeria?
To be confirmed. Nigeria is UTC+1. That lines up with British Summer Time on this date, but only the Argentina kick-off makes the local clock real.
What time is it in Australia?
To be confirmed. Sydney is on AEDT (UTC+11) by 6 October 2026. A Tuesday night in Buenos Aires is Wednesday morning in Sydney.
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.
Will Messi play?
He was named for this match and it was announced as his Argentina farewell. A start is expected. The minutes are not confirmed until the team sheet and the substitutions.
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 showed up in the reports checked, including LA NACION’s note that only Bolivia, of the three opponents, had a prior record against Argentina.
What channel is the match on in Argentina?
Ámbito reported TyC Sports and Telefe, plus official apps including 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?
Gulf News reported a sell-out on 25 September 2026, citing 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. BBC Sport said 85,000. A ticket report said 85,018 tickets were sold for this match.
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 page: 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 were reported injured and are not in the squad list. Paredes and Molina were reported 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 is the live score?
There is no score. The match has not been played. The live score page will not show a fake 0-0.
Who won Argentina vs Benin?
No one yet. Ask again after the final whistle on 6 October 2026, Buenos Aires time.
Where will highlights be?
On the official broadcaster’s own channels after the match. This site will write a report and will not embed 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.