Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates winning the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Australia at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Dec 3, 2022. (PETR DAVID JOSEK / AP)

BEIJING - Argentina captain Lionel Messi will lead his side against Australia in a friendly at the Workers' Stadium in Beijing next month with his first visit to China in six years.

The Argentina embassy in China said on Monday that the World Cup winners would play Australia on June 15, bringing Messi to the country for the first time since 2017.

Australia and Argentina last met at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in the round of 16, where Messi was among the scorers as his team won 2-1.

It will mark the seventh time the 35-year-old has visited China and comes at a time when his future at Paris Saint-Germain is the subject of intense speculation. A source close to the player has told Reuters he had received a formal offer to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal next season.

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Since his first China trip in 2005, Lionel Messi has played for Argentina or his former club Barcelona in friendlies. The Spanish side beat Beijing Guoan 3-0 in a friendly in 2010

Messi has received a fervent welcome on each of his previous visits to China, which has a huge soccer fan base.

Since his first China trip in 2005, Messi has played for Argentina or his former club Barcelona in friendlies. The Spanish side beat Beijing Guoan 3-0 in a friendly in 2010.

News of the match against the Socceroos quickly went viral on Chinese social media, with many fans voicing eagerness to watch the game.

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"If I can get a ticket, I wouldn't mind not having a girlfriend for a whole year," one fan quipped on social media.

Lionel Messi (second right) of Argentina shoots during the round of 16 match against Australia at the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, on Dec 3, 2022. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

This friendly will be the Socceroos' first appearance in China since 2008, when they faced China in a World Cup qualifier in Kunming, China's southwestern Yunnan province.

James Johnson, Chief Executive of Football Australia, deemed the match historic. "I would like to express our gratitude to the promoters, China Rainbow International Investment Co. Ltd, for their ambition in organizing this match, along with the Beijing Football Association, Chinese Football Association, and both the Chinese and Australian Governments for their respective support," he stated.

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"It's been 15 years since our senior men's national team played in China, and we're truly thrilled to be returning to take on Argentina at the newly renovated Workers' Stadium in Beijing."

With Xinhua's inputs