Benin Players Left Frustrated After Being Denied Messi Shirts and Photos

Benin head coach Gernot Rohr has said his players were not allowed to swap shirts or take pictures with Lionel Messi after the Argentina captain's final international match, a 3-0 friendly win in Buenos Aires.

Messi, 39, scored a penalty on the night before bowing out of international football. For the Benin squad, though, the evening ended in frustration. Rohr says Argentina's camp shut them out once the final whistle went, and they missed the usual custom of swapping shirts with their opponents.

"My players tried everything, but nothing worked," Rohr told RMC Sport. "The Argentinians didn't give our players anything, not even a photo with Messi. We wanted to exchange shirts, but we didn't get any. They wouldn't even allow us to enter their player corridor. Security was turning everyone away. Players were coming with their shirts hoping to swap them with Argentina players."

Rohr did say that sharing the pitch with an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner was an incredible experience for his squad. Even so, he felt they deserved a little more on the night.

He did manage to get one small keepsake for himself. After waiting more than 30 minutes following the final whistle, he approached the Argentina camp with an old, match-worn Messi shirt he had brought along. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni signed it. It was the only successful contact between the two sides after the game.

Messi leaves the national team as its most iconic player. He won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and two Copa America titles, and reached three World Cup finals in total.