Benin head coach Gernot Rohr has expressed his frustration over the treatment meted out to the team in Argentina when they faced the Albiceleste in Lionel Messi’s farewell game on October 6, 2026.

The Albiceleste defeated the African side 3-0, with Messi providing two assists and scoring a goal to cap off a sterling international campaign.

However, the German coach expressed his disappointment with the way the team was treated, as neither the players nor the technical team officials were allowed to take pictures with Messi to mark the momentous occasion.

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He also noted that security at the venue denied them the opportunity to enter the dressing room to engage with the Argentine players. As a result, they did not get the chance to swap shirts, as some of the players and officials had intended to do.

"Yes, it was extremely difficult. We tried," he said. "The only shame is that the Argentines gave us nothing. No photo with Messi, no shirt. They didn't even let us into the tunnel, nor even the dressing room. Security refused to let anyone in. Some players came to swap shirts, so we knew it would be difficult. We tried everything, but we got nothing," he told RMC Radio in an interview.

Coach Gernot Rohr indicated that efforts to present a bouquet to Messi also proved futile, but he managed to get the football great to sign a jersey for him.

"We offered a bouquet in Benin's colours, yellow, red and green, but that didn't work. However, I gave Messi's 2018 shirt to coach Scaloni, who got him to sign it for me and then returned it to me, but that was all," he added.

The Argentina FA is yet to respond to the claims or explain the reason behind the treatment Benin received during the farewell game, as the team reportedly left without getting the opportunities they had hoped for.

SB/JKB

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