Why Did the Players of Benin Gift a Statue to Antonela, Messi's Wife?

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In the moments leading up to the match between Argentina and Benin on Tuesday, which was Lionel Messi's last game with his national team, there was a notable scene when Sessi Dalmida, the captain of the African team in the match, presented a gift to the legend. However, it was not intended for the Argentine star, but rather for his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, according to Argentine media.

Before the starting whistle, during the draw ceremony, Dalmida surprised Messi with several gifts, including a message from the Benin national team players, a flower, and a small statue representing a miniature version of the famous "Amazon Memorial" in the city of Cotonou.

Argentine reports indicated that the statue was not a gift for Messi himself, but for his wife Antonela, as it symbolizes strength, courage, and protection. The idea of presenting it to her was to make her the warrior who takes on the role of "protecting the king."

The pre-match ceremony also saw the presence of Steve Mounié, the main captain of the Benin national team, who missed the match due to injury but accompanied his country's delegation to Argentina.

Monier, who plays for Augsburg in Germany, previously faced Messi at the club level when the Argentine was playing for Paris Saint-Germain, while the Benin striker was defending the colors of Stade Brest.

The gesture came in Messi's last match with the Argentine national team, which ended with the world champion winning 3-0, during which the 39-year-old scored one goal and assisted two.