Argentina are reportedly finalizing friendlies against Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin for October, potential farewell matches for Lionel Messi with the national team following this year's World Cup. Argentina are reportedly closing in on a set of friendlies for October’s international window that could see Lionel Messi and the national team face Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin, according to ESPN journalist Esteban Edul. The matches are being discussed as potential farewell games for Messi following his time with the senior national team after this year’s World Cup, though nothing has been officially confirmed by the AFA or the player himself. The reported schedule has Argentina facing Bolivia on September 30, followed by Burkina Faso on October 3, with a possible third match against Benin, currently ranked 93rd in the FIFA rankings, on October 6. The AFA is said to be negotiating all three fixtures as part of the same international window, with venues under consideration including El Monumental in Buenos Aires, the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Cordoba, and a possible match in Rosario. Lionel Messi and teammates celebrate with World Cup replicas at Estadio El Monumental. (Getty Images) With Messi already having confirmed his retirement from the national team, what remains uncertain is whether these friendlies will actually serve as his long-awaited farewell in front of Argentine fans. A series of home matches against lower-ranked opposition would give the AFA the perfect opportunity to give him that proper send-off, while also using the games to start looking ahead to the next generation of the national team. Argentina want friendlies to be recognized as Category A The federation has reportedly also consulted FIFA to ensure the friendlies are classified as Category A matches, a designation that would allow several suspended Argentina players to begin serving bans they picked up following incidents at the 2026 World Cup. Locking in that classification is seen as a key step before any of the fixtures can be finalized. The suspensions stem from the fallout surrounding Argentina’s run to the final, when FIFA handed down sanctions to several members of the squad and coaching staff for their conduct in the tournament’s closing stages. Leandro Paredes received the harshest penalty of the group, a 10-match ban, while Nahuel Molina was hit with a seven-match suspension of his own. Thiago Almada picked up a shorter one-match sanction, and even assistant coach Roberto Ayala was not spared, receiving a three-match ban along with a fine. Without Category A status, none of those suspensions could begin to count down, since FIFA only recognizes bans as served in matches that meet that classification threshold.
Lionel Messi is set to start as Inter Miami visit Chicago Fire looking to snap a rough patch of form. Lionel Messi is set to be in the lineup as Inter Miami visit Chicago Fire at Soldier Field on Wednesday, with the Herons looking to snap a rough patch of form that has seen them go winless in five of their last six league matches. Messi enters the match fresh off a historic achievement, having become the first player in MLS history to reach 30 goal contributions in three separate seasons, a mark he hit while setting up Casemiro’s opener in Miami’s 2-2 draw against Atlanta United in the last fixture. Despite the individual milestone, Miami‘s results have cooled considerably since their 7-1 rout of Montreal, and the club now sits 10 points behind Nashville SC in the race for first place in the Eastern Conference. Chicago Fire, meanwhile, arrive at the match sitting third in the East, five points behind Miami for second place, with a win Wednesday closing that gap to just two points and giving the Fire a game in hand on the Herons. Noche de fútbol en Chicago. 🌃⚽️ #CHIvMIA • @MarriottBonvoy pic.twitter.com/umRymoHQBL— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) September 9, 2026 Gregg Berhalter’s side heads into the match off the back of a wild 4-4 draw at Toronto, a result that featured a brace from Maren Haile-Selassie and a goal from Robert Lewandowski, who has quickly established himself as one of the most efficient scorers in MLS since his move to Chicago. Chicago Fire projected lineup Chicago could be without Jonathan Bamba, Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Andre Franco, all of whom sat out the Toronto draw with lower-body issues. Zinckernagel leads the Fire’s attack this season and will look to combine again with Lewandowski and Haile-Selassie up top. Chicago Fire projected starting XI: Chris Brady; Jeremy Dean, Carlos Teran, Rafael Czichos, Mihailo Ristic; Kellyn Acosta, Hugo Cuypers, Maren Haile-Selassie; Philip Zinckernagel, Robert Lewandowski, Georgios Koutsias. Inter Miami projected lineup Miami’s injury list remains lengthy, with Sergio Reguilon, Gonzalo Lujan, Micael and Mateo Silvetti all confirmed out for the trip to Chicago, forcing Guillermo Hoyos to once again patch together his backline and attacking rotation. Inter Miami projected starting XI: Dayne St. Clair; Facundo Mura, Casemiro, Maximiliano Falcon, Ian Fray; Rodrigo De Paul, Yannick Bright, Telasco Segovia; Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, German Berterame.
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