Tijani Muhammad says Benin will enjoy Lionel Messi’s Argentina farewell

Benin defender Tijani Muhammad says his team will not focus on trying to contain Lionel Messi when they face Argentina in a friendly at the Monumental in Buenos Aires.

Instead, the 10-man national side will savour the opportunity to share the pitch with one of football’s greatest players, who is preparing to make his final appearance for Argentina.

Speaking to C5N, Muhammad said: “We will not be watching Messi. We will simply enjoy this match. I will watch it saying: ‘Messi, you are a legend.’”

The Benin defender described Messi as “the best in the world” and said he hoped Argentina would win, highlighting his admiration for the player who wears the number 10 shirt.

The match is expected to take on particular significance for Messi as he prepares to say goodbye to Argentina in front of more than 85,000 supporters. He will do so having made 207 international appearances and scored 125 goals for his country.

Messi has also helped Argentina win several major honours, including the 2022 World Cup. His final appearance will therefore mark the end of a significant international career, with Benin’s players aware of the historic nature of the occasion.

For Benin, the build-up to the match has been less straightforward. Their preparations included a 23-hour journey, while the accommodation provided for the squad was considered unsatisfactory.

Despite those difficulties, the team intends to embrace the occasion rather than allow the disruption to overshadow it.

“We will do our very best to ensure that this celebration is perfect,” Muhammad added.

The Benin squad will therefore approach the meeting with Argentina as both a competitive fixture and a rare chance to experience Messi’s farewell at close quarters. While the players are expected to do their best on the pitch, Muhammad made clear that the evening would also be about appreciating the presence of a player he regards as the finest in the world.