What's the maximum bet on the Messi boost?

You can bet up to $5, with a minimum of $0.01. Only one bet is allowed on the selection.

Does a Messi penalty count?

Yes. Nothing in Stake's goalscorer rules excludes penalties, so a converted spot kick counts like any other goal.

What if the first goal is an own goal?

Own goals are ignored for settlement. The bet is decided by the first player credited with a regular goal.

Can I use the boost with other Stake offers?

No. Bets placed with the boost aren't eligible for any other promotion.

Can I claim the boost once the match has started?

No. The boost only applies to prematch bets, so it's gone once the game kicks off.

Promotions

Messi's Last Dance Boosted Odds Promotion

By Leon Travers

2 hours ago

Leon Travers2 hours ago

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Stake has boosted Lionel Messi to score the first goal against Benin from 2.17 to 10.00 for his final Argentina match.
The Messi's Last Dance promo runs from October 5 to 7, 2026, with a $5 max bet and a potential return of $50.
It's prematch only, one bet per selection, and can't be combined with other Stake offers.

Messi's Last Dance
Messi's Last Night in Blue and White
Will Messi Play the Full 90 Minutes?
How Much Is the 10.00 Boost Worth?
How to Claim the Stake Messi Boost
Is the Messi Boost Worth It?
Stake Messi Boost FAQ

Lionel Messi wears the Argentina shirt for the last time this week, and Stake wants you to be part of it. For his farewell against Benin, the Messi's Last Dance promo boosts Messi to score first from 2.17 to 10.00.

It's one small bet on a night Argentina fans have been dreading for years. Here's how it works, and whether it's worth your $5.

Messi's Last Dance

The table below sums up the key details of the promotion.

Promotion	Messi's Last Dance
Dates	5 October to 7 October 2026
Fixture	Argentina vs Benin (international friendly)
Market	1st Goalscorer: Lionel Messi
Regular odds	2.17
Boosted Odds	10.0
Minimum bet	$0.01
Maximum bet	$5.00
Bet type	Pre-match single

Messi's Last Night in Blue and White

This one's been a long time coming, and it still feels too soon. Messi bows out on Tuesday, October 6, against Benin at River Plate's Estadio Monumental, with an 8:00 PM local kick-off.

He'd already called time on his Argentina career after the 2026 World Cup final defeat to Spain. The AFA then confirmed he'd return for one last game, making the Benin friendly his send-off. Explaining the decision, Messi admitted it still hurts, adding, ‘I swear I always gave everything.’

The numbers back him up. This will be cap number 208, and he leaves as Argentina's all-time top scorer with 125 goals and a record 68 assists. Buenos Aires clearly wants to be there. Tickets reportedly sold out in under two hours, with around 85,000 expected inside the Monumental.

He isn't limping into it either. He was his country’s star player at his sixth World Cup, and he recently netted his 100th Inter Miami goal against Cruz Azul. Argentina are flying too, after 4-0 and 7-0 wins over Bolivia and Burkina Faso.

Outside Argentina, kick-off is 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday. For readers further east, it's midnight in the UK and 4:30 AM in India on Wednesday. Jakarta gets it at 6:00 AM, with Malaysia and Singapore at 7:00 AM.

Bookies don't give Benin much hope. Stake has Argentina at 1.01 to win, the draw at 18.00 and Benin at 50.00.

Will Messi Play the Full 90 Minutes?

This is the question that matters most for your bet. Messi is expected to start and wear the armband, with reports suggesting he'll get plenty of minutes before a standing-ovation exit.

Lineup news could help you here. With Messi coming in, Scaloni has to decide whether to leave out Julian Alvarez or Lautaro Martinez. Fewer starting strikers means fewer rivals for the first goal.

There's a cautionary tale from earlier this year, though. In a farewell-style home friendly against Zambia in March, Messi set up Alvarez in the fourth minute and then scored himself in the 43rd. Messi loves to create as much as finish, and an assist pays nothing here.

Timing matters too. Under Stake's goalscorer rules, any player who takes part in the match counts as a runner. If Messi is subbed off before anyone scores, you can't win your bet.

How Much Is the 10.00 Boost Worth?

At 2.17, Stake's own pricing gave Messi close to a coin-flip chance of scoring first. At 10.00, you're being paid like he's a long shot. Here's how the returns compare across a few bet sizes.

Bet size	Return at 2.17	Return at 10.00	Extra from the boost
$1.00	$2.17	$10.00	$7.83
$2.00	$4.34	$20.00	$15.66
$5.00	$10.85	$50.00	$39.15

Max out the $5, and a Messi opener returns $50, or $45 in profit. The same bet without the boost would return just $10.85, including your stake.

The Main Threats to Your Bet

Lautaro Martinez (3.50) and Julian Alvarez (4.00) are the biggest dangers if they start alongside Messi. The rest of the field sits between 4.60 and 7.20, led by Jose Manuel Lopez.

Benin could also spoil the party with an early goal. They're captained by experienced forward Steve Mounie, though that 50.00 win price shows how little the market fancies them.

How to Claim the Stake Messi Boost

Getting the boosted price only takes a minute. Follow these steps:

Log in to your Stake account and open the Sportsbook.
Search for Argentina vs Benin, or find it in the football section.
Open the 1st Goalscorer market and pick Lionel Messi at 10.00. You'll see the original 2.17 price struck through next to it.
In the bet slip, make sure the Price Boost toggle is switched on. It'll also show your max promo stake of $5.
Enter a bet between $0.01 and $5, then confirm before kick-off.

Key Terms and Settlement Rules

The boost is prematch only, so get your bet in before the whistle. You can place one bet on the selection, and you can't combine it with any other Stake offer.

Stake can pull the boost at any time and may only offer it to certain users. If you can't see the 10.00 price, it might not be live on your account. Promo abuse can lead to disqualification or a permanent ban, and anyone with a professional link to Stake is excluded.

On settlement, Stake ignores own goals completely. Results are based on the TV insert and Press Association statistics, unless there's clear evidence those figures are wrong. So if a Messi shot takes a big deflection, the official credit decides your bet.

If you bet in crypto, watch the exchange rate. In fiat view, Stake converts crypto values at live rates, which can affect your eligibility. Leave a small buffer under $5 to be safe.

Is the Messi Boost Worth It?

For a $5 punt, it's one of the better boosts we've seen. Stake's regular price already made Messi the favourite to open the scoring, and the boost pays over four times that.

The catch is that first goalscorer bets are brutal by nature. One early Lautaro header and it's over before you've settled in. Treat it as a fun way to be part of a historic night, not a sure thing.

Stake Messi Boost FAQ

What's the maximum bet on the Messi boost?
You can bet up to $5, with a minimum of $0.01. Only one bet is allowed on the selection.
Does a Messi penalty count?
Yes. Nothing in Stake's goalscorer rules excludes penalties, so a converted spot kick counts like any other goal.
What if the first goal is an own goal?
Own goals are ignored for settlement. The bet is decided by the first player credited with a regular goal.
Can I use the boost with other Stake offers?
No. Bets placed with the boost aren't eligible for any other promotion.
Can I claim the boost once the match has started?
No. The boost only applies to prematch bets, so it's gone once the game kicks off.

18+. Bet only what you can afford to lose and gamble responsibly.

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