Messi's farewell match with Argentina national team faces existential threat

Lionel Messi's farewell match with the Argentina national team against Benin is threatened by a series of scandals. The Benin team complains about appalling conditions: a 23-hour tourist-class flight, a hotel without hot water and a gym. This follows the Burkina Faso affair, which sent a young squad after its players refused to fly tourist class. The Argentine association is accused of deliberately choosing weak rivals to maximize profits.

Lionel Messi's farewell match with the Argentina national team, scheduled to take place between Tuesday and Wednesday at 2:00 AM against the Benin national team, is under real threat due to a series of scandals and appalling conditions. The Benin team endured a 23-hour tourist-class flight, causing severe physical strain and even causing the team's video analyst to lose consciousness from exhaustion. Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, the Benin players encountered a hotel without a proper gym, an entire floor without hot water, a broken sauna, and a lack of training facilities. This follows an even more serious incident: the Burkina Faso team refused to board the plane after discovering they were only allocated tourist-class tickets. The local association was forced to field an emergency squad of young players up to age 23, who arrived three hours before kickoff and were defeated 7-0. In the background, harsh allegations are emerging against the Argentine association, claiming it deliberately chooses small African rivals to charge huge sums from broadcasting rights and tickets without sharing revenues or investing in basic conditions for the guests. As expressed angrily in Benin: 'Ahead of Messi's great and final appearance, who exactly is pocketing all this money?'