All of Argentina is eagerly awaiting the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, when Lionel Messi is set to play his final official match in an Argentina shirt. However, instead of the historic farewell taking center stage, the football world has been rocked by serious controversy and fierce accusations aimed at the organizers.Following the scandal before the previous fixture, when Burkina Faso’s national team refused to travel to Buenos Aires, forcing Argentina to face the African nation’s U23 side instead, the latest wave of discontent has come from their next opponent — the football federation representing Benin.🚨 MAJOR controversy surrounding Argentina’s 7-0 win over Burkina Faso. 😳 Argentina covered Burkina Faso’s travel and accommodation costs, but several senior players were unhappy with the low-cost commercial flight arrangements and the lack of financial compensation, so decided NOT to travel. Burkina Faso received no appearance fee and no share of the ticket or TV revenue, leaving the AFA and organisers to retain the revenue generated by the friendly. An improvised Under-23 side was sent instead, with 13 uncapped players: ▪️ Around 11 hours of travel. ▪️ Arrived just FIVE HOURS before kick-off. ✈️ ▪️ Virtually no time to rest or prepare. ▪️ Then faced the World Cup finalists. 🏆 Argentina cruised to a 7-0 win, but the circumstances have raised serious questions over how the friendly was organised. 🇦🇷🇧🇫— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Footballtweet) October 4, 2026 So, what happened with Burkina Faso? The boycott began on Friday morning at an airport in Morocco. Burkina Faso’s senior team refused to board a regular economy-class flight funded by Argentina for their trip to the friendly. After the senior players rejected those conditions, the federation reacted quickly and sent the U23 squad instead. The plane carrying the young players landed at 3 p.m. local time, with the match scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. Argentina went on to win 7-0.While excitement across the country reaches fever pitch ahead of Messi’s final appearance on home soil, the Argentine Football Association has also come under scrutiny. The criticism centers on the repeated scheduling of matches against smaller African federations with weaker financial resources.##EDITORS_CHOICE##According to “The Guardian”, the motivation is purely financial — fees for these games are minimal, allowing the Argentine federation to retain the majority of the revenue.Benin is now facing the same organizational problems. Travel arrangements were not changed, meaning a grueling 25-hour journey on a regular flight reportedly caused nausea among several players, while one member of the staff even fainted. Benin has also voiced strong complaints about its accommodation.The hotel where the team is staying is reportedly in poor condition, with no gym or proper space for warm-ups. There is no hot water on an entire floor, while the sauna, described as the only facility available at the hotel, is completely out of order.🚨 𝗡𝗘𝗪: Benin have raised concerns over the organization of Lionel Messi’s farewell match in Argentina. The team faced more than a DAY of travel on commercial flights, with a video analyst suffering dizziness and losing consciousness. They also claim their hotel has NO hot water, while the gym has only two treadmills available for training. — @Romain_Molina— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) October 4, 2026 Because of the treatment they have received, those within the Benin camp have publicly questioned the AFA and the wider football community: if this is a match marking Messi’s farewell, who is actually keeping all the money generated by it?Benin’s reward? The opportunity to face one of the greatest players in football history during his final match for Argentina.##NAJAVA_MECA_9999929##