Key Points

• Messi will play his 208th and final Argentina match in a friendly against Benin at the Monumental in Buenos Aires.
• He announced retirement from international football on 31 August, six weeks after Argentina's World Cup final defeat by Spain.
• Messi acquired UE Cornella in April and became owner of CD Eldense on 1 October, with plans to lead his football operation through both clubs.

Messi selected ownership over a coaching role when asked about his future plans, reasoning that a coach lives by weekly results while an owner shapes club direction from greater distance. When asked recently about his preferences, Messi chose owner over coach. His ownership model, however, will not be hands-off. He intends to be involved in all decisions at both clubs, operating them through trusted representatives who will act as intermediaries until he can devote full attention to the role.

CD Eldense will serve as the flagship club leading his football operation. The immediate objective this season is avoiding relegation, and the club hired former Villarreal boss Javi Calleja to manage the team. Messi monitors every Eldense match closely on his computer. After Eldense defeated Real Oviedo 4-1 recently, his first message as owner was an Instagram post reading "Aupa Deportivo."

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Messi has indicated he would struggle to live without football, ensuring his presence in the sport will continue long after his final international appearance. Whether he pursues a formal role as sporting director or adviser to a club president remains unclear, but his immediate focus centers on building his Spanish club operation through the two properties he controls.

Sources: BBC Sport and other international news outlets.

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