In Buenos Aires, where the number 10 seems to hang over every street, Benin’s players have arrived for a night they may never be able to repeat: Lionel Messi’s final international appearance is set to come against the Cheetahs, with Lorient forward Aiyegun Tosin among those embracing the scale of the occasion.
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Tosin will represent a Benin side preparing for an extraordinary meeting with Argentina at the Monumental, scheduled for 1am French time in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. For the 27-year-old, facing Messi in Argentina during the forward’s farewell is already a childhood dream fulfilled.
“People at the airport told us to be careful with Leo and not injure him,” Tosin said. “We told them he is our idol too. Playing against Messi in his last match, in Argentina, is a dream coming true. Whatever happens afterwards, I have already won.”
Benin captain Steve Mounié has travelled despite being injured. The former Brest striker, who has won 68 caps across 11 years with the national team, asked coach Gernot Rohr for permission to remain with the group and paid for his own flight.
Mounié did not want to miss an occasion he sees as historic for his country. Benin, known as the Squirrels before adopting the Cheetahs identity in 2022, have rarely faced opponents from outside Africa. For Mounié, whose international career has been spent playing African nations, Argentina at the Monumental was already a major event before Messi’s retirement plans gave it another dimension.
“This is the match everyone will watch, the biggest one of our international careers,” Mounié said. “Messi’s final game will be against Benin — I still cannot believe it.”
He also stressed that Benin will not simply be there as spectators. “We have our pride too,” he said. “We are not at their level, but I love football. To play Argentina at the Monumental is huge for me. Messi is the icing on the cake.”
Benin earned the trip before looking towards Argentina
Rohr had ensured that the squad’s focus remained on the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers before the Argentina trip became a talking point. Benin drew 1-1 with Burkina Faso and then beat Mauritania 2-1, taking four points from the two matches.
The coach had made his position clear before those fixtures: only players who fought through the qualifying matches would be part of the Argentina journey. Once the four points were secured, the group could turn its attention to Buenos Aires.
The journey was long and modestly organised. Benin travelled via Abidjan and Paris before reaching Buenos Aires, a route lasting around 24 hours in economy class because the event organisers had limited resources.
They landed last Thursday and quickly found themselves caught up in the atmosphere surrounding Messi. Mounié said the squad’s yellow kit made them stand out in the city, bringing friendly approaches and requests for photographs. Rohr noticed Messi shirts and number 10s everywhere on the team’s first walk through Buenos Aires.
Players are expected to record the occasion on their phones when the stadium pays tribute to Argentina’s captain. Within the squad there has even been discussion over who might come away with Messi’s shirt, although Tosin said there would be no complaint if the Argentine decided to keep it.
Benin’s stay has already included a football memory beyond the international fixture. Mounié obtained around 20 tickets for the Independiente match last Saturday through Joaquín Blázquez, his former Brest team-mate.
Back in Benin, the match has become the dominant sporting conversation. National television journalist Hugues Mangni said supporters had repeatedly asked whether the country had broadcast rights. The answer is yes: the game will be shown live, with record viewing figures expected.
