Scenes described as remarkable unfolded in Rosario, Argentina, in the hours before Lionel Messi was due to play his final match for the national team, Foot Mercato reports. The outlet published images from the city showing the scale of the turnout around the occasion.
Messi's farewell outing with the Albiceleste is a fixture against Benin, according to RMC Sport, which carried live coverage of the game. Foot Mercato framed the match as the last time Messi will wear the Argentina shirt.
The build-up has not been limited to football. Foot Mercato also reported that the Malouines — the French name for the Falkland Islands — became part of the conversation around Messi's testimonial, a reference to the long-running sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom. The same outlet's coverage centred on the atmosphere in Rosario, the city in Santa Fe province where Messi was born.
Attention around the player's future beyond the pitch has surfaced too. La Dépêche reported on a property south of Barcelona, described as spanning 10,000 square metres and valued at around 10 million euros, where the outlet says Messi is expected to live after retirement.
Discussion of his standing in Argentine football has also continued. 20 Minutes posed the question of whether Messi will leave a legacy in the country larger than that of Diego Maradona, noting a local saying that places "Diego, Leo and the pope" together.
What to watch next: confirmation of the final score and any post-match comments from Messi, neither of which was available in the reporting summarised here.
