A recent social media post on Threads claimed that the President of Argentina had declared October 6, 2026, a public holiday so citizens could stay home and watch Lionel Messi play his final match for the Argentina national football team. The post accumulated approximately 3,000 likes, 64 comments, 48 reposts, and 99 shares, with many users believing the claim. Some users even commented on the supposed honor bestowed upon Messi, calling it a display of how much the country loves him.
However, an investigation by Ghana's Dubawa fact-checking organization found that the claim was misleading. While it is true that Messi will make a farewell appearance for Argentina against Benin on October 6, 2026, at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, there is no evidence of a government declaration making the day a public holiday. The Argentine Football Association confirmed that Messi had been invited to play a farewell match for the national team on October 6, 2026, and that he had accepted the invitation.
Dubawa checked the official Government of Argentina website, which publishes the country's 2026 national holiday calendar. The calendar lists the October national holiday as October 11, Día de la Raza (Race Day), and contains no holiday or non-working day for October 6. This information suggests that the government did not declare October 6 a public holiday.
Furthermore, Dubawa examined Argentina's national holiday legislation, Law 27399, which establishes national holidays and non-working days. The law lists the country's fixed and movable national holidays, but October 6 is not among them. The relevant national holiday in October is actually the October 12 Día del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural, which is subject to applicable transfer rules.
The official government calendar currently shows October 11, 2026, rather than October 6, as the October national holiday. Additionally, Dubawa checked the Argentinian President's official social media handles and found no announcement declaring October 6 a public holiday. This suggests that the viral post was false.
The distinction between a celebration and a declared public holiday matters, as the viral post specifically claims that the President declared a public holiday and that citizens are expected to stay home to watch the match. However, there is no evidence to support this claim. The AFA's announcement supports the match, not the reported public holiday.
In conclusion, the Threads post is false, and the Argentine government has not declared October 6, 2026, a public holiday for Messi's final match. While Messi's farewell appearance is confirmed, there is no evidence to support the claim of a public holiday declaration.
Key points
- The Argentine government did not declare October 6, 2026, a public holiday for Lionel Messi's final match.
- The country's official holiday calendar lists October 11, 2026, as a national holiday, not October 6.
- There is no evidence of a presidential declaration making October 6 a public holiday.
