Benin players were stopped from doing three things after Lionel Messi’s last match.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) reportedly stopped Benin’s players and staff from doing three things after Tuesday’s friendly game, said Benin’s coach, Gernot Rohr. The match was Lionel Messi’s farewell to Argentina’s national team after he announced his retirement from international football following the World Cup. The 39-year-old scored a penalty in his final game, helping Argentina win 3-0.
Before the game, the Benin players gave Messi a statue, a letter, and a rose. But after the match, celebrations like fireworks and a speech by Messi on the field made it hard for Benin’s team to get close to him or the Argentine players.
Rohr told French radio station RMC that security stopped Benin’s players and staff from going into Argentina’s locker room or even the tunnel after the match in Buenos Aires. He also said they weren’t allowed to take photos with Messi or get his shirt. Rohr’s only keepsake was a 2018 Messi shirt he got signed personally thanks to a request by Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni.
“The Argentinians didn’t give our players anything,” Rohr said. “Not even a photo with Messi. We wanted to swap jerseys but didn’t get one. They didn’t even let us into their tunnel. Security turned everyone away. Some players had their jerseys ready to exchange, but it didn’t work.”
He added, “I gave my 2018 Messi jersey to the coach, who signed it and gave it back. I waited for half an hour, but it’s no big deal.”
Rohr said the experience was great and relaxed, and that the result didn’t matter much. “For us, it was about learning and giving our young players a valuable international experience.”
French journalist Romain Molina reported that Benin’s players and staff didn’t get any bonuses from the match, and the Benin Football Federation didn’t receive any money from the event’s revenue. Neither federation has commented publicly on these claims yet.
According to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, Messi wasn’t very eager to play a farewell match at first, having planned to retire after the 2026 World Cup final against Spain. The report said he saw the match as a way for AFA to make money using his name to bring in millions. In the end, he agreed to play, but the game caused some controversy. The report also said Benin agreed to play for free, just happy to be part of a historic moment.