Giovani Lo Celso

More than two decades after making his senior national team debut, Lionel Messi will play his final match for Argentina on Tuesday night

The Argentine sent shockwaves on Monday when he announced his retirement

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has opened an investigation into the Argentine Football Association for violating the agency’s rules against political demonstrations after its World Cup team unfurled a controversial banner claiming the Falkland Islands—a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic—"are Argentinian."

British football fans have been left furious after members of the Argentine national team staged a highly provocative political stunt following their World Cup victory over England

Argentine players wave banner claiming Falklands as their own after beating England on the pitch

But the small African nation have confounded the critics and on Friday, they will face Lionel Messi and Argentina in the round of 32

Lionel Scaloni's side finished the first stage with maximum points and looking formidable, albeit in one of the weaker groups also featuring Algeria and Austria

Germany will start favourites and eye a possible pre-quarterfinals berth against France who meet Sweden on Tuesday at the New York New Jersey Stadium

Messi now has 123 international goals — second all-time to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 145 — in 202 appearances