Gernot Rohr frustrated as Argentina players refuse shirt swaps after Messi's final match
Benin manager Gernot Rohr says his squad was denied shirt swaps and photos with Argentina players following Lionel Messi's final international appearance.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Author: Bryan Berlin
Lionel Messi's final international match for Argentina ended with a 3-0 victory over Benin, but the historic occasion left the opposition coach feeling frustrated. Benin manager Gernot Rohr claimed that his squad was completely shut out by the South American side after the final whistle.
According to Rohr, his players were eager to commemorate the match against the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, but their attempts to interact were firmly rejected. The Benin squad was reportedly blocked by security from accessing the Argentina player corridor, preventing them from exchanging jerseys or taking photos.
My players tried everything, but nothing worked. The Argentinians didn’t give our players anything, not even a photo with Messi. We wanted to exchange shirts, but we didn’t get any. They wouldn’t even allow us to enter their player corridor. Gernot Rohr
The only successful interaction occurred when Lionel Scaloni, the Argentina manager, eventually signed an old, match-worn Messi shirt that Rohr had brought with him after the manager waited for over 30 minutes. Despite this small consolation, Rohr felt his team deserved more acknowledgement.
The match marked the definitive end of one of football's most iconic careers. Messi leaves the international stage as Argentina's most successful player, having secured two Copa America titles and the 2022 World Cup during his tenure.