Messi’s bespoke World Cup mate sets revealed by Marcos Senesi’s partner in viral video

Lionel Messi quietly commissioned personalised yerba mate sets for every Argentina player just days before the 2022 World Cup final, according to a video posted online by the partner of defender Marcos Senesi.

Kelsie Rose Powers, an English footballer and Senesi’s girlfriend, disclosed the previously unknown gesture on social media, showcasing in detail the exclusive gift package the Bournemouth defender received from the Argentina captain.

In the clip, Powers appears wearing an Argentina shirt as she unveils a brown bag adorned with the Argentine Football Association crest, an image of the World Cup trophy and “Marcos Senesi” printed on the front.

“I want to show you something really cool that you’re going to love,” she says in the video. “This is a personal bag that Marcos won at the tournament and his name is written on it.”

Inside Messi’s World Cup gift

Powers explains that the bag formed part of a special present from Messi to every member of the Argentina squad in Qatar, conceived as a shared keepsake from their World Cup campaign.

The pack included a gold-coloured Stanley thermos – a high-end insulated flask for hot water – carrying the branding associated with the Argentina captain. Alongside it was a customised mate gourd, the traditional cup used for drinking yerba mate, plus a packet of yerba (the dried leaves used to prepare the drink).

The set was completed by a metal bombilla – the straw with a filter at the end used to drink mate – which in this version featured an integrated spoon.

Powers says in the video that Senesi entrusted her with the entire collection so she could keep it safe and transport it to Miami, where the defender is currently based.

Symbol of Argentina’s team spirit

The footage has rapidly circulated across social media platforms, providing a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the Argentina camp during their run to the world title in Qatar.

While the gift itself did not relate to on-pitch tactics or preparation, it highlighted the collective culture that surrounded Messi and his team-mates as they went on to lift the World Cup.

Mate culture, long rooted in Argentine daily life, has become a visible ritual within the national side, with players often seen sharing the drink at training camps and team hotels. Within the squad, the communal passing of the gourd is viewed as a simple but powerful way of strengthening bonds.

By choosing a personalised mate kit as his memento for colleagues, Messi used one of Argentina’s most recognisable traditions as a symbol of unity, turning a familiar daily habit into a bespoke reminder of the group’s journey together.

The viral video has, in turn, shone a light on that choice: a golden, customised twist on an ordinary object that has come to represent both the intimacy and togetherness of the world champions’ dressing room.