Buenos Aires is preparing for a night that reaches beyond one farewell. On Tuesday, the Monumental de Núñez will be full for Lionel Messi’s final appearance with Argentina, with tickets already sold out and work under way at the stadium as it readies itself to hold 101,000 spectators. Across the city, attention will naturally settle on the No. 10, but Benin have arrived from West Africa determined to make this occasion part of their own football story.
The visitors’ route to Argentina has been an ordeal in itself. Benin’s squad left Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire, travelled via Paris and eventually reached Buenos Aires after roughly 25 hours in transit. The journey crossed two continents on commercial flights, with the delegation flying economy class, leaving the coaching staff with little time to restore the players before the friendly.
Oscar Rohr, a member of Benin’s staff and son of head coach Gernot Rohr, said the immediate priority had been rest and adjustment after such a long haul. “It was a very long journey, and we have to let the players sleep and adapt,” he said. “But it is for a major occasion.”
A long road to the Monumental
For Benin, the fixture arrives shortly after a painful near-miss in the African qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup. They entered the final round with a chance of reaching the tournament for the first time, only for a 4-0 defeat to Nigeria to end that ambition.
That disappointment gives the Buenos Aires match an added purpose. A packed Monumental and the global focus around Messi’s Argentina goodbye offer Benin an uncommon stage, both for the national side and for a country seeking greater recognition in international football. Rohr insisted, however, that his team have not crossed the Atlantic merely to play a supporting role.
“It is a huge match for us, though not the biggest in Benin’s history,” he said. “It belongs in our history, but we can still achieve bigger things. We want to do something here, not simply be present because of Messi.”
A tribute before competition
Benin’s competitive intent will not prevent a gesture towards their hosts and Argentina’s captain. Before kick-off, the delegation plans to present Messi with a gift and unveil a special kit carrying a reference to Beninese history.
The design will feature a woman warrior, described by the staff as an Amazonian figure and a symbol rooted in the country’s past. “We are preparing something for Messi and Argentina,” Rohr explained. “There will be a gift, and the special shirt will be seen before the match.”
Argentina and Benin meet on Tuesday at the Monumental in Buenos Aires, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 Brasília time. For Messi, it is billed as his official final match for the Argentine national team; for Benin, after a 25-hour passage from Abidjan through Paris, it is a chance to ensure the evening contains more than one story.
