Video: "A lot of grilled meat": this is how Messi's farewell ceremony with the Argentina national team began

The final match will be against Benin

Lionel Messi has already linked up with the Argentina national team at the Ezeiza training centre, preparing for his final match in the national shirt against Benin after midnight tomorrow.

He had touched down a few days earlier aboard a private plane, ready to play his last international match.

After passing through his birthplace of Rosario, the forward headed to Buenos Aires to join Lionel Scaloni's squad.

According to the newspaper "Abola", he missed the Córdoba game against Bolivia and the thumping win over Burkina Faso, as planned. He will take his place at the Monumental next Tuesday for the third and final match of this international window, against Benin.

Messi will mark his farewell by wearing a special shirt designed just for the occasion, destined for his personal collection of trophies and awards.

Two wide vertical light blue stripes frame a white stripe in the middle, decorated with the sun from his country's flag, along with his name and number engraved in gold.

Preparations for the Benin clash kicked off with a training session on Sunday, followed by a huge barbecue serving up every kind of meat. Federation president Claudio Tapia took his turn at the grill and wrote: "All of this for my sons."

Argentina train again today, Monday, and both Messi and Scaloni are expected to face the press before the match.

Not everything is going smoothly. Difficult conditions back home have hampered Benin's preparations, piling on top of other logistical problems. It mirrors the situation with Burkina Faso, who sent their under-23 side after the first team refused to travel.