Lionel Messi criticised after Benin players seek selfies in Argentina farewell

Lionel Messi has faced accusations of racism after appearing to move away from Benin players who tried to take commemorative selfies with him following Argentina’s 3-0 win at Estadio Monumental.

The match, played on Wednesday morning, was Messi’s final appearance for Argentina at the stadium. After the final whistle, the 39-year-old forward greeted the Benin players as he attempted to take in his last moments on the pitch.

One member of the Benin squad appeared particularly determined to persuade Messi to stop for a photograph. Messi, however, walked away without taking the requested selfie.

The incident prompted a strong reaction from some sections of social media, with critics accusing the Argentina captain of lacking humility. They argued that he could have spared several seconds for the Benin players, given that they had been involved in his final friendly match.

However, there was no indication of hostile behaviour from Messi towards the Benin players during the game. When play was stopped in the 10th minute so the crowd could applaud him, he hugged and shook hands with members of the opposition.

The footage was reposted by the controversial Mexican account La Catrina Nortena, which described the moment by saying: “Messi did not want to take photos with the African players at his farewell ceremony. This is how he pushed away a Benin player who wanted to take a selfie with him, and continued walking straight ahead…”

The post received a mixture of responses. Some users agreed with the criticism and went as far as accusing Messi of racism, while others said the brief exchange was unremarkable.

The Universador account wrote: “Even in his final days in football? Was Messi selfish, arrogant and racist? It seems so.”

RHV also described Messi as “racist”, adding: “And we already know that.”

Other users defended the Argentina forward and offered a different explanation for what happened.

The account menduca61 said: “They [the Benin players] were told not to approach Messi because the show had already begun, and they would be able to take photos later. Find out the information first and then criticise, you idiot.”

Luis Linares responded to the criticism by writing: “You are suffering from psychological trauma because of Messi… Your anti-Messi campaign ignores the facts because it is extremely biased and malicious.”

Argentina’s victory over Benin came during the occasion marking Messi’s final appearance for the national side at Estadio Monumental, where supporters gave him a warm reception during the match.