Messi farewell under scrutiny as Benin face difficult trip to Argentina

Lionel Messi is set to make his final appearance for Argentina against Benin in the early hours of Wednesday, in what should be a memorable farewell for the 39-year-old 2022 World Cup winner.

But the build-up to the friendly has been overshadowed by criticism of the way Benin have been treated, with The Guardian reporting that the African side were not provided with ideal conditions for the occasion.

Messi’s final Argentina appearance would inevitably attract global attention. The decision to stage it against Benin, ranked 93rd in the FIFA rankings, has also raised questions about why a more prestigious football nation – or a leading club side – was not selected as the opposition.

Argentina have regularly arranged friendlies against African teams in recent years. Five of their past 10 friendly internationals have been against opponents from the continent.

The Guardian’s report suggested the choice was partly influenced by the relatively small appearance fees those countries are prepared to accept. However, it also highlighted the limited arrangements made for the visiting teams.

Benin were not given a charter flight for their journey to Buenos Aires. Instead, the squad had to travel on several commercial flights, with the trip taking about 25 hours. One of the team’s video analysts reportedly fainted during the journey.

The accommodation selected for Benin has also come under scrutiny. Several rooms reportedly have no hot water, the sauna is not working and the gym provided for the squad is described as very small.

The financial benefit for Benin is also expected to be minimal, despite the Estadio Monumental’s 85,000 capacity being sold out for Messi’s farewell. Almost all of the match revenue will go to the Argentine Football Association.

Benin are unlikely to complain about the arrangement, however, given the opportunity to take part in a match marking Messi’s final appearance for Argentina.

The treatment of African opponents is not an isolated issue. Earlier this week, Argentina invited Burkina Faso to play a friendly, but that team also faced a lengthy journey involving several flights.

When the flight from Casablanca was seriously delayed, Burkina Faso eventually abandoned the trip, with only one player continuing the journey.

The country then sent its under-23 side instead. Argentina won that match 7-0.