Buenos Aires is preparing for a farewell of its own on Wednesday night, when Lionel Messi is due to make what is being billed as his final appearance for Argentina at the Monumental. The match, scheduled for 01:00, brings Benin to the capital for an occasion in which the result may sit behind the attention paid to every touch from Argentina’s No. 10.
Benin arrive as clear outsiders, but their visit has carried a more personal dimension for players encountering the city before facing one of football’s defining figures. Members of the squad have been out in Buenos Aires looking for souvenirs, and defender Mohamed Tijani chose a mate during a stop in the city.
Outside the shop, Tijani spoke warmly about the player he will soon meet on the Monumental pitch. Messi, he said, is “the best in the world”, while the team doctor accompanying him offered an even grander description, calling the Argentine “the god of football”.
For Tijani, the task is not simply about limiting a celebrated opponent. “You do not have to defend Messi; you just have to enjoy him,” the Benin centre-back said. He also hopes to leave Buenos Aires with a more lasting reminder of the night: if the opportunity arises, he intends to ask Messi for his shirt and said he would be delighted to receive it.
It is the kind of meeting that makes international football travel well beyond rankings and reputations. Benin have an important fixture ahead, yet their defender’s words capture the unusual atmosphere around a final Monumental date for Messi: even those sent to oppose him are arriving ready to appreciate the occasion.
