Messi Unveils Special Argentina Farewell Kit for Benin Send-Off
Lionel Messi has personally revealed the special adidas Argentina shirt he will wear for his international farewell, calling it a jersey for a lifetime. He will wear it for the final time on Tuesday against Benin at the Estadio Más Monumental.
The reveal: a jersey for a lifetime
Lionel Messi shared the shirt himself on social media in the days before the farewell, presenting the design that adidas built around his 21-year international career. Alongside the reveal he posted a short, emotional message in Spanish: “Último partido… Una camiseta para toda la vida.” In English: “One last match… A jersey for a lifetime.”
The 39-year-old will wear the shirt in Argentina's farewell friendly against Benin at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires on 6 October, a match FIFA has confirmed will be his final appearance for the national team after his decision to retire from international football.
It closes a story that began with his senior debut in 2005 and runs through the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2024 Copa América. Across 207 caps he has scored 125 international goals, and the Benin match will be his 208th and last senior appearance in the Albiceleste shirt.
The design: Sun of May rays and a golden No. 10
The farewell shirt reworks Argentina's traditional look rather than copying it. Instead of the usual stripes, the jersey is split vertically into sky-blue and white halves, with a reworked Sun of May radiating outward from the centre on both the front and back as fine linear detailing. The effect gives the shirt an identity tied to this one occasion rather than a standard match-day release.
Gold runs through the details as a nod to what Messi has achieved in the shirt. The number 10 appears in gold at the centre of the chest, while on the back MESSI sits above a gold number 10 in a nameset based on the 2026 World Cup font with a black border. On the upper back, just below the neckline, a special gold Sun of May graphic frames his number 10.
In a rare gesture from the brand, Messi's personal signature logo — a stylised interlocking “M” — replaces the usual adidas three-bar performance mark on the left chest. The AFA crest, topped by three gold stars, sits on the right breast, white adidas stripes run across the shoulders and sleeves, and the collar and cuffs are trimmed in black and gold. At the base of the neckline sits a small commemorative crest that frames the number 10 with laurel branches and the Sol de Mayo.
A full farewell collection, not just a shirt
The jersey is the centrepiece of a broader adidas “Farewell Kit” collection officially unveiled on 25 September 2026. Beyond the shirt, the capsule includes matching shorts, pre-match tops, casual lifestyle silhouettes and a remastered edition of his iconic F50 Tunit boots.
The release marks the culmination of one of football's defining brand partnerships. Messi's relationship with adidas dates back to 2006 and became a lifetime contract in 2017, and the two have stayed prolific throughout 2026 — earlier this year Messi fronted the brand's ‘La Final’ campaign alongside Lamine Yamal.
Frozen for the occasion: nobody else wears the 10
The shirt carries extra weight because the number 10 itself has been protected for the farewell. Head coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed to FIFA's channels that no Argentina player will wear the iconic number across the October fixtures against Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin — the shirt will stay vacant until Messi's final match, after which the succession question begins.
Separately, FIFA tournament squad rules require shirts numbered 1 to 26, which blocks Argentina from retiring the number permanently. For now, the golden 10 belongs to one man for one more night.
One night at the Monumental
The farewell has been building for weeks. Messi announced his international retirement after the 2026 World Cup, and Argentina arranged this fixture specifically so the captain could take a proper bow in front of home supporters. Tickets sold out in under two hours, and he landed in Rosario on Friday to begin the final countdown.
On Tuesday, for the last time, the number 10 will walk out in sky blue and white — wearing a shirt designed, quite literally, for the occasion. As Messi himself put it: one last match, a jersey for a lifetime.
Questions people ask
When was Messi's farewell kit unveiled?
adidas officially unveiled the Messi Argentina 2026 Farewell collection on 25 September 2026, and Messi personally revealed the shirt on his social media channels ahead of the Benin friendly.
What does Messi's farewell Argentina shirt look like?
The signature shirt keeps the sky-blue and white but splits them vertically down the middle, with fine Sun of May rays radiating from the centre on the front and back. MESSI and the number 10 appear in gold, a gold Sun of May on the upper back houses the number 10, and Messi's personal M logo replaces the adidas mark on the chest opposite the three-star AFA crest.
What else is in the Messi farewell collection?
The collection covers the farewell shirt, matching shorts, pre-match tops, casual lifestyle pieces and a remastered edition of his iconic F50 Tunit boots. It caps a Messi-adidas partnership that began in 2006 and became a lifetime contract in 2017.
Will anyone else wear the No. 10 before Messi's farewell?
Coach Lionel Scaloni has frozen the number 10 across the October friendlies — Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin — so no one else wears it until Messi takes his final bow. Separately, FIFA tournament rules number squads 1 to 26, which blocks any permanent retirement of the shirt.
When will Messi wear the farewell kit?
Messi is expected to wear the special shirt in the friendly against Benin at the Estadio Más Monumental in Buenos Aires, kicking off at 8pm local time (20:00 UTC). It will be his 208th and final senior appearance for Argentina.
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