Blog ·
El Monumental, the last stadium where Messi played for Argentina
On 31 August 2026, Lionel Messi announced that he was leaving the Argentina national team. He did not go without a goodbye: the AFA, Argentina's football association, organised one last match in Buenos Aires, and the place chosen was El Monumental (The Monumental), River Plate's ground and the usual home of the national team.
The farewell night
The opponents were Benin, in a friendly played on Tuesday 6 October 2026. Messi started, wore the captain's armband and played the full 90 minutes. Argentina won 3 to 0, and he had a hand in all three goals: he took the corner that Nicolás Otamendi headed in, set up Nico Paz and, in the second half, scored a penalty.
That goal was Messi's 126th for Argentina, in his 208th match. Both figures are national team records.
"Hemos decidido invitar al mejor jugador del mundo… nuestro capitán, a que tenga la despedida que realmente se merece aquí en Argentina" ("We have decided to invite the best player in the world… our captain, to have the farewell he truly deserves here in Argentina"), explained Claudio Tapia, the AFA's president. That night, Messi put it his own way: playing for Argentina, he said, is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you.
His last World Cup had ended a few months earlier, with Argentina runners-up in 2026.
A ground with history
The Monumental opened in 1938 and is the largest stadium in Argentina. It is associated with Núñez, although officially it stands in the neighbouring barrio of Belgrano, in the north of the city. It hosted the 1978 World Cup final, the one that gave Argentina its first world title.
Messi saying goodbye in the same place where Argentina lifted its first World Cup adds one more chapter to the stadium's story. Could you find the Monumental on a map with no names? Try it for free on GeoFútbol (in Spanish or Portuguese).
How to visit
When there is no match, you can see the stadium through the Museo River, which opened in 2009 and is self-guided. It has a 4D film about a match day, a time tunnel and the trophy room. The guided Visita Estadio lasts about 45 minutes and takes in a stand, the away dressing room and the tunnel to the pitch. It is worth checking prices and opening hours on River's website.
To get there, Line D of the Subte (underground) runs to Congreso de Tucumán station, and from there you continue on foot. The Mitre train line also works, to Núñez station.
If your trip includes both of Buenos Aires' big grounds, Bombonera or Monumental explains how to plan the day. And Buenos Aires' most famous stadiums tells the story of the others.
Where to stay
Belgrano and Núñez are a few blocks from the stadium, and Palermo is on the way to the centre. In the accommodation map at the end of this post you will find options near the Monumental.
The Monumental is one of the grounds that can come up in GeoFútbol, along with stadiums from all over Latin America. Play GeoFútbol today, it's free (in Spanish or Portuguese).