Lionel Messi’s Farewell Matches Spark Controversy Over World Cup Suspensions—What Argentina’s Star Players Are Really Up To

Lionel Messi is set to play his final match for the Argentina national team during the upcoming triple header of friendlies, closing out a cycle in which he leaves as the team’s all-time leading scorer and assist provider, having led his country to its third World Cup title.

Argentina will face Bolivia on September 30 at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium in Córdoba, before closing out the window in Buenos Aires against Burkina Faso on October 3 (venue still to be officially confirmed) and Benin on October 6 at the Monumental.

Beyond marking Messi’s send-off, these games will also serve as the vehicle for several suspended teammates to finally clear their bans from the chaotic ending of the 2026 World Cup final.

At one point, it wasn’t clear those suspensions would even apply to these fixtures. The bans stemmed from a post-match brawl after Spain beat Argentina in the final, and under the original ruling they were tied to official competitive matches, meaning the suspended players risked carrying their punishments all the way into 2027 World Cup qualifying or the 2028 Copa América before getting a chance to serve them out.

Leandro Paredes and Eric Garcia have words after the World Cup 2026 Final. (Getty Images)

According to the AFA, CONMEBOL classified Argentina’s upcoming friendlies as Level 1 fixtures, the designation that allows the suspended players to begin working off the bans they picked up following the tournament in North America.

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The scandal behind the bans

The suspensions trace back to a post-match brawl following Argentina’s loss to Spain in the World Cup final, and FIFA handed down significant punishments for each player involved, on top of a $321,000 fine for the AFA as an institution.

Leandro Paredes received a 10-match suspension for grabbing Eric García by the neck, Nahuel Molina was hit with a seven-match ban following a clash with Rodri, Thiago Almada was given a one-match suspension, and assistant coach Roberto Ayala was barred from the bench for three games.

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