Benin goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou says Lionel Messi will receive no special treatment when Argentina’s captain makes his international farewell against his side on Tuesday, October 6.
Messi is expected to play his final match for Argentina at the Monumental in Buenos Aires, where the world champions will face Benin in a fixture arranged to mark the 39-year-old’s farewell.
The Argentine Football Association has also organised a fan festival for the occasion. Messi announced his retirement from international football after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Dandjinou, who is expected to start for Benin, recognises the importance of the event but insists his focus will remain on preventing Argentina from scoring.
Asked what he would do if Argentina were awarded a late penalty and Messi took responsibility, the 28-year-old Kruger United goalkeeper said he would try to save it.
“No, no. I’m a goalkeeper and I’m there to save. Even if it is the last minute and there is a penalty, if Messi takes it, I will try to save it,” Dandjinou told Marca.
The Benin goalkeeper described the opportunity to face Messi as a defining moment in his career. He called the Argentina forward “one of the kings of football” and said he had grown up watching him.
However, Dandjinou made clear that his admiration would not affect his approach once the match begins.
“Yes, we are here to celebrate Messi, but nobody has told us that we have to gift him a goal. And knowing Messi, you don’t need to gift him anything. If he wants to score, he will have to do everything possible to achieve it,” he added.
The match is set to bring an emotional conclusion to Messi’s Argentina career, which has lasted more than two decades at senior international level.
The AFA has described the fixture as a special farewell for its captain. The Monumental will provide the setting for what is expected to be Messi’s final appearance in Argentina’s famous blue and white shirt.
