Argentina Face Travel-Chaos Burkina Faso Days Before Messi's Farewell

Argentina played Burkina Faso in an international friendly at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. Yahoo Sports reported the match was scheduled for October 3 at 9 p.m. Buenos Aires time, while a Vavel live-match preview listed the date as October 4. The game came close to being cancelled over a travel dispute involving the Burkina Faso delegation, days before Lionel Messi's announced farewell from international football.

A friendly nearly cancelled by a travel crisis

According to Goal.com, Burkina Faso's team was left stranded in Morocco after a chartered flight scheduled for September 30 was abruptly cancelled without warning. An emergency flight was eventually arranged on Friday night, forcing the squad into a roughly 24-hour transatlantic journey with little recovery time before kickoff in Buenos Aires. Vavel reported the delegation's flight from Casablanca was called off due to technical issues and that the team landed in Buenos Aires only about five hours before the match.

According to Goal.com, journalist Romain Molina reported that several Burkina Faso players left the camp and declined to travel, citing organisational issues and unresolved financial matters. The Burkinabe Football Federation confirmed the flight cancellation and acknowledged that concerns over travel time had generated reluctance among the players, without detailing the financial dispute further.

Goal.com reported that Burkina Faso's Ministry of Sports, the national football federation and the country's embassy were involved in trying to resolve the situation. Vavel added that several senior players ultimately opted not to travel, forcing Burkina Faso to call up an emergency squad built around Under-23 players.

Did Messi play against Burkina Faso?

Reports differed on Messi's involvement in this specific match. Yahoo Sports reported before kickoff that Messi would rest against Burkina Faso and was set to make his only appearance of the window in Argentina's October 6 match against Benin, listing a predicted Argentina lineup without him. Vavel, in a preview published the same day, described Messi's participation as still uncertain at the time of writing, describing him as a major attraction given his retirement announcement.

Yahoo Sports also noted that Argentina arrived at the Burkina Faso match off the back of a 4-0 win over Bolivia, and that Burkina Faso had faced logistical difficulties reaching Buenos Aires but ultimately secured travel in time to play.

The scheduled farewell: October 6 against Benin

Messi's confirmed final appearance for Argentina is set for October 6, 2026, against Benin at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, with kickoff planned for 8 p.m. local time, according to Rio Times Online. AFA president Claudio Tapia said the federation invited Benin to give Messi a deserved farewell on October 6, describing him as the best player in the world and the icon of the national team.

Messi announced his retirement from the national team on August 31, 2026, saying he had 'nothing left to give,' according to Rio Times Online, which reported that he cited Argentina's World Cup final defeat and his father's death in August among the factors behind the decision.

Tickets for the Benin farewell match went on sale on September 24 through the Deportick platform and sold out in under two hours, Rio Times Online reported, with prices ranging from roughly 90,000 to 480,000 Argentine pesos, or about $59 to $317. Adidas also unveiled a commemorative jersey for the match featuring Messi's personal logo and a gold number 10.

Messi's record with Argentina

Messi retires as Argentina's all-time leader in appearances and goals, with 207 caps and 125 goals, according to Rio Times Online, which noted that only Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more goals in international football, with 146. At the 2026 World Cup, Argentina lost the final 1-0 to Spain on July 19, 2026; Messi scored eight goals and provided four assists across the tournament, his best numerical return across six World Cup appearances.

What remains unconfirmed

At the time of the available reporting, no outlet had published a final score or confirmed whether Messi ultimately took the field against Burkina Faso. It also remained unclear whether Burkina Faso's financial and transport dispute with the organising company was resolved before or after the match was played.