Argentina will host Benin in a friendly at the Estadio Monumental on Wednesday, 6 October 2026, with the match expected to mark Lionel Messi’s final appearance for the national team.
Kick-off is scheduled for 23:00 GMT, in the early hours of 7 October. The game in Buenos Aires will bring Argentina’s international break to a close and will be broadcast by L’Equipe Live, BeIN Sports France, DAZN, Canal+ Sport Afrique, SuperSport and SRTB, the national television broadcaster of Benin.
The fixture will be the first meeting between the two countries. It will also be the first time the Guepards have faced a South American national side.
Argentina arrive in strong form
Argentina go into the match with considerable confidence. They have not lost at home since November 2023 and have recorded emphatic victories in their most recent matches, beating Bolivia 4-0 before defeating Burkina Faso 7-0.
The occasion will centre on Messi, who is set to play his final match for Argentina. The captain has won 207 caps and scored 125 goals for the Albiceleste.
Benin, meanwhile, have also built encouraging momentum. The Guepards have suffered just one defeat in their past six matches, recording three wins and two draws during that sequence.
They are unbeaten after their opening two matches in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. Manager Gernot Rohr will nevertheless want his side to compete seriously rather than simply take part against the world champions.
Benin defender Khaled Adenon has described the fixture as a major opportunity for the Guepards.
Argentina heavily favoured
Argentina are the clear favourites because of their technical quality and current run of results. Benin will need to remain organised in defence and look for opportunities on the counter-attack if they are to challenge the hosts.
The expectation is that Argentina will have enough to win and give Messi a positive farewell in front of the home crowd.
Africafoot’s prediction is a 4-0 victory for Argentina.
The match is also listed by 1xbet with odds of 74 for a Benin win, 45 for a draw and 1.03 for an Argentina victory.