Watch: Messi rejects selfie request from Benin player in retirement match

Dubai: Lionel Messi’s retirement moment with Argentina was interrupted when a Benin player persistently approached the 39-year-old for a selfie, forcing Messi to push him away.

Messi scored once and provided two assists as Argentina defeated Benin 3-0 in what marked his final appearance for the national team after 21 years.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes in sporting history, Messi’s presence understandably generated excitement among the 93rd-ranked Benin players. However, one of them appeared to take his enthusiasm a little too far.

Following the final whistle, Messi went around greeting the Benin players as he tried to savour his last moments in an Argentina shirt. But one particularly eager Benin player repeatedly attempted to get the 39-year-old to stop for a selfie, prompting Messi to push him away.

Messi appeared frustrated by the persistent approach, with Benin’s Amiro Amadou stepping in to calm the situation and encourage his teammate to give the Argentine space to savour his final moments in the national shirt.

Throughout the match, Messi had been gracious with the Benin players, including during the 10th-minute pause when the crowd rose to applaud and celebrate his international career.

He was already embracing and shaking hands with the opposition, so repeatedly pursuing him for a selfie immediately after such an emotional occasion may not have been the right time.

Some fans have criticised Messi for not showing more patience in the moment, arguing that the Benin players were simply desperate to capture a memory from what will forever be a landmark occasion for them.

But for Messi, the significance of the moment was undoubtedly far more personal. He was saying goodbye to the Argentina shirt after more than two decades, while also carrying the grief of losing his father, who had been present for almost every chapter of his remarkable career but did not get to witness its final international game.