Benin defender Mohamed Tijani has offered a heartwarming perspective ahead of Lionel Messi’s final international appearance for Argentina, saying his team will not man-mark the legendary forward but instead savour the opportunity to share the pitch with one of football’s greatest icons.Argentina face Benin in a friendly at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, with the match set to mark Messi’s farewell in the famous blue-and-white shirt. The occasion has been billed as an emotional celebration of the 39-year-old’s extraordinary international career, with thousands of fans expected to turn out to bid farewell to their captain.Speaking to Argentine outlet C5N ahead of the game, Tijani made it clear that stopping Messi would not be the only priority for Benin.“We would not be marking Messi. We will just enjoy this match. I will watch him and say: Messi, you are a legend,” Tijani said, as quoted by Goal.com.The Benin defender’s admiration for Messi goes even further. According to Goal.com, Tijani said he hoped Argentina would win the farewell match, despite his own side being the opposition.“We will do our utmost to ensure this celebration is perfect,” Tijani said, speaking about Messi’s final international outing.
Messi’s final bow for Argentina
Messi announced his decision to retire from international football on September 1, following Argentina’s 0-1 defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. He had previously retired from international duty in 2016 after Argentina lost the Copa America final to Chile, but reversed that decision and subsequently enjoyed the most successful period of his international career.Messi led Argentina to Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024 before finally achieving his long-held dream of winning the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Argentina defeated France on penalties in the final after a thrilling 3-3 draw.His farewell comes after a record-breaking international career. Messi is Argentina’s all-time leading scorer and most-capped player, having made 207 appearances and scored 125 goals for his country. He has also scored 21 goals across six World Cup appearances.
A farewell to remember
Messi’s final international appearance is expected to be an emotional occasion at the Monumental, where more than 85,000 supporters are set to witness the Argentine great take the field for one last time for his country.The Argentine Football Association has described the occasion as one that will “transcend sports” and be filled with emotion. Messi himself reflected on the significance of the moment after joining up with the Argentina squad for the final time.“Special moments I know I will miss,” Messi wrote on social media.While his international career is coming to an end, Messi will continue playing club football for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
