Messi's Farewell Argentina Jersey: The Gold Special Edition Kit He Wears in His Last Game, Graded

Image: adidas

Lionel Messi's last game for Argentina gets its own jersey. Adidas and the Argentine Football Association released a special edition Argentina shirt on September 25, 2026, and the team will wear it on the field in Messi's farewell match, a friendly against Benin on Tuesday, October 6 at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. Messi announced his international retirement on August 31. The game will be his 208th and final cap.

This is not a retro reissue or a lifestyle drop. It is a new match shirt made for one night, and it is one of the best things adidas has made for Argentina in years.

What the Messi Farewell Jersey Looks Like

Argentina normally wears three sky blue and white stripes. The farewell shirt pares that down to one wide white stripe down the center, framed by two broad panels of sky blue, which reads less like a club shirt and more like the flag itself. Look closer and the whole body is covered in fine broken lines, adidas's reinterpretation of the Sun of May (the Sol de Mayo from the flag), running front and back.

The trim does the rest:

• Black collar and black cuffs, each edged in gold. Black is rare on an Argentina home shirt, and here it frames the neck and sleeves the way a picture frame finishes a print.
• A gold AFA crest with the three stars above it.
• A gold number 10 on the chest, and "MESSI 10" in gold on the back.
• Messi's own "M" logo where the adidas Performance logo would normally sit on the chest.
• A small commemorative mark on the back of the neck: the number 10 framed by laurel branches and the Sol de Mayo.

The collection also includes matching special edition shorts and socks, pre-match tops and lifestyle pieces, plus white and gold boots for Messi himself.

Why It Works

Restraint. A farewell kit is the easiest thing in the world to overdo, and the obvious version of this shirt has a giant Messi face, a gold everything, and a list of trophies down the sleeve. Adidas kept the shirt an Argentina shirt first. The single white stripe is a real design idea, not a gimmick, and it makes the gold look deliberate instead of loud.

The black trim is the smart call. Sky blue, white and gold are all light values. Without something dark, the gold would wash straight into the white. The black collar and cuffs give the gold an edge to sit against, and they give the whole shirt an outline at stadium distance. That is the exact problem we keep flagging on light alternates in other sports: a light uniform needs a dark anchor somewhere.

It is personal without being a costume. The M logo on the chest is the kind of detail that only makes sense for one player, one night, and it replaces a brand mark rather than adding clutter.

What Keeps It From an A

The gold number on the chest is dark enough that it reads almost bronze against the white stripe, and at broadcast distance it will fight the pinstripe texture behind it. The Sun of May pattern is lovely in a studio photo; on grass under lights, we expect it to disappear into plain sky blue. Neither is a real flaw. They are the reasons this is an A− instead of an A.

When Does Argentina Wear the Messi Jersey?

Once, on the field: Tuesday, October 6, 2026, Argentina vs. Benin, an international friendly at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. It is a ceremonial farewell, not a World Cup qualifier, and Messi was called up only for this game. ESPN and Infobae both reported that the tickets, about 85,000 of them, sold out in under two hours.

Messi goes into it with 125 goals in 207 caps. His last major tournament was the 2026 World Cup, where Argentina reached the final and lost 1-0 to Spain at MetLife Stadium (what both teams wore in that final).

Where to Buy the Messi Farewell Jersey

Adidas put the shirt on sale on September 25 through adidas stores, adidas.com and selected retailers. In Argentina, local outlets list both a player (authentic) version and a cheaper fan (replica) version, each with or without "Messi 10" on the back. Argentine sources do not agree on the peso prices, and adidas has not published a U.S. price, so we are not quoting one.

The Bottom Line on Messi's Farewell Argentina Jersey

This is how you retire a number. One white stripe for the flag, black and gold to make it feel like an occasion, Messi's own mark on the chest, and nothing else. It will look like Argentina on October 6 and like a keepsake every day after. A−.

Frequently Asked Questions

What jersey will Messi wear in his last game for Argentina?

A special edition adidas Argentina jersey made for his farewell: sky blue with one wide white center stripe, a black collar and cuffs edged in gold, a gold AFA crest, a gold number 10, and Messi's personal "M" logo on the chest in place of the adidas logo.

When is Messi's last game for Argentina?

Tuesday, October 6, 2026, a friendly against Benin at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. It will be his 208th cap.

Who is Argentina playing in Messi's farewell game?

Benin, in an international friendly. It is not a World Cup qualifier.

Is the Messi farewell jersey worn on the field?

Yes. Argentina wears it in the October 6 match against Benin. Adidas also released matching shorts, socks, pre-match tops and lifestyle pieces.

When was the Messi farewell jersey released?

Adidas and the AFA released it on September 25, 2026, after Messi teased it in a video a few days earlier.

What is the Sun of May design on the Messi jersey?

The Sol de Mayo is the sun on the Argentine flag. Adidas reinterpreted it as a fine pattern across the front and back of the shirt, and it appears again in the commemorative mark on the back of the neck, around a laurel-framed number 10.

Why does the Messi jersey have only one white stripe?

It is a special edition design. Instead of Argentina's usual three stripes, the shirt uses one wide white stripe between two sky blue panels, closer to the look of the Argentine flag.

More Soccer Kit Coverage

• World Cup Final 2026 Kits: What Spain and Argentina Wore
• Inter Miami Third Kit 2026: The White Cénit Shirt Messi Unveiled, Graded

Sources: adidas, ESPN, ESPN on the Benin friendly, Infobae.

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