Fans vote for River Plate stadium as potential Lionel Messi farewell venue

Lionel Messi has formally retired from international competition, concluding his career following Argentina's 1-0 loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. The 39-year-old indicated in a recent statement that he had no further contributions to provide to the national team. While no official plans exist for a farewell match, a poll conducted by Diario Ole drew over 17,000 votes from supporters regarding a preferred venue for such an event. River Plate’s stadium emerged as the primary choice with 61% of the vote, followed by Newell’s Old Boys stadium at 18% and La Bombonera at 16%. Argentina recently canceled a planned Asia tour and replaced it with three fixtures to be played on home soil. These upcoming home matches remain the only confirmed appearances for the team, though it is unclear if any specific tribute to Messi will be incorporated into the schedule.

• 10:45 AMYahoo Sports — Fans vote on where they’d want Lionel Messi to play a farewell game for Argentina