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

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In the moments leading up to the start of the Argentina vs. Benin match on Tuesday, which was Lionel Messi's last game wearing his national team's jersey, 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, Antonella Roccuzzo, according to Argentine media.

Before the starting whistle, during the ceremony of the coin toss, 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 Antonella, 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 a player for Paris Saint-Germain, while the Benin striker was defending the colors of Stade Brest.

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