Lionel Messi touches down in Argentina ahead of emotional final Albiceleste appearance
Iconic captain returns home early
Messi landed at Rosario's Islas Malvinas International Airport alongside his family on Friday morning ahead of his farewell appearance in national team colours. The Inter Miami forward took time out to rest at his private residence in Funes before linking up with Lionel Scaloni's squad at the Ezeiza training complex. The captain is scheduled to complete just a single training session alongside his international team-mates prior to his swansong at the Estadio Monumental.
Scaloni clarifies talisman travel arrangements
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's return home arrived earlier than originally planned, following comments made by the head coach during his pre-match press conference ahead of the Bolivia fixture. Clarifying the talisman's arrival schedule ahead of the weekend friendly, Scaloni said: "Leo is coming this weekend, after the match on (Saturday) the 3rd, but if he wants to come and play on the 3rd, he can. In principle, he arrives after that game; he would be getting in on Sunday."
Special jersey marks historic retirement
The captain announced his decision to retire from international football via his official Instagram account a month ago, coming off the back of his highest individual goal tally at a major summer tournament. To commemorate the historic occasion, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) have designed an exclusive bespoke kitfeaturing a vertical motif complete with the Sun of May and laurel branches framing the legend's iconic number 10 shirt.
Monumental prepares emotional final tribute
Tuesday's friendly against Benin on October 6 is set to bring down the curtain on the 39-year-old's international career in front of a packed crowd in Buenos Aires. The sell-out encounter will kick off an hour earlier at 20:00 local time to accommodate special pre-match tributes and farewell ceremonies. Once the emotion of the night subsides, the veteran forward will return to Miami to see out the remainder of the Major League Soccer campaign.
