Rohr Slams Argentina Stars For Refusing Shirt Swap With Benin Players In Messi’s Final International Match

Benin head coach Gernot Rohr says Argentina’s stars brutally snubbed his players at Lionel Messi’s final international match.

The African side travelled to Buenos Aires midweek to take on the 2026 World Cup finalists in commemoration of the star’s incredible international career.

But following the match, footage surfaced of Argentina players snubbing opposing players with Messi, in particular, at the heart of it.

While Rohr conceded that his side were proud to have played their part in the historic match, he was left with a bitter taste following the treatment dished out to his players.

“We are very happy to be part of history, especially for a football legend like Lionel Messi,” Rohr said (via talkSPORT).

“And to play this match at the Monumental Stadium was an extraordinary adventure for my young players.

“The only downside was that the Argentinians gave our players nothing. Not even a photo of Messi.”

He continued: “We wanted to exchange jerseys, but we didn’t get a single one. They wouldn’t even let us into their tunnel (changing room).

“Security was turning everyone away. Some players were even bringing their jerseys to exchange with other players.

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“However, I gave Messi’s 2018 shirt to coach [Lionel] Scaloni, who got him to sign it for me and then returned it to me, but that was all.

“He had me sign it and then gave it back to me. I waited half an hour, but it’s not a big deal.”

“We tried everything, but to no avail.

Argentina capped off an emotional evening with a comfortable 3-0 win over the minnows.

Messi signed off in style by converting a 71st-minute penalty – his 126th and final goal for his country in 208 matches.

He had supplied the assists for Nicolas Otamendi and Nico Paz after the break.

James Agberebi is a sports content creator and analyst with a passion for football and other sports. He writes sports news, match reports, and analysis to keep fans informed about the latest developments in the sporting world. James has covered international matches involving both Nigeria’s men’s and women’s national teams. His experience covering Nigerian football gives him a good understanding of the game and the teams he writes about. Through his work with Complete Sports, James shares sports updates, match coverage, and analysis with readers in Nigeria and around the world.