Gernot Rohr’s Benin side walked into one of football’s most emotional evenings and left with a story. Their young players stepped onto the Monumental turf for Lionel Messi’s send-off, an occasion few of them could have pictured when they started out in the game. The one souvenir they wanted most, a shirt from an Argentina star, never came.
Rohr said the Beninese camp was thrilled simply to be part of the occasion. Facing a footballing giant led by a living legend, in one of the sport’s great cathedrals, was a moment the squad treated as historic.
“We’re thrilled to make history, especially against a football legend like Lionel Messi. And playing this match at the Monumental has been an extraordinary adventure for my young players,” the veteran German coach said.
For a young group still finding its feet on the international stage, Rohr suggested, it was an education no training ground could replicate.
Rohr admitted the night had one sour note. After the final whistle, his players were unable to swap jerseys with the Argentine stars or even get a photograph with Messi.
Several Benin players had brought shirts to the stadium, hoping to trade with their opponents. The efforts went nowhere.
The former Nigeria coach said his delegation was blocked from reaching Argentina’s tunnel, with security staff turning people away.
“The only dark spot is that the Argentinians gave nothing to our players. Not even a photo with Messi. We wanted to swap jerseys, but we didn’t get a single one,” he said.
“Some players came with their jerseys to swap with others [Argentinian players]. We tried everything, but it was no use.”
For young players meeting some of the biggest names in the sport, a swapped shirt or a quick photo would have been a keepsake to last a lifetime.
Rohr did manage one small exchange of his own. He had brought a 2018 Messi jersey, a memento from their World Cup meeting in Russia, and eventually got it to Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni.
“I was able to give my 2018 Messi jersey to the coach [Lionel Scaloni]. He had me sign it and gave it back to me. I waited half an hour, but nothing happened,” Rohr explained.
In other words, the shirt went in and came back signed, but he waited half an hour for something more and it never arrived.
Rohr was quick to say the disappointment did not spoil the night. For him, the meaning of the fixture was never about the scoreline.
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He described the occasion as a chance to expose his young squad to the highest level of international football and let them learn from it.
“It was fantastic but stress-free. The result wasn’t the most important thing,” he said.
“For us, in sporting terms, it was about learning, giving our young players a rich international experience that no one could have imagined living one day.”
Rohr’s words show why high-profile friendlies matter for developing football nations. Playing against a side of Argentina’s stature gives young players a measure of the level they are chasing, whatever the result.
The missing jerseys may sting for now. But for a young Benin generation, the memory of walking out at the Monumental to play Argentina on the night Messi said goodbye could become a lasting part of their development.