Benin's players wanted a souvenir photo with Lionel Messi on his final night in an Argentina shirt. What happened next sparked widespread controversy.
Argentina had just beaten Benin 3-0 at the Monumental on Wednesday morning. After the final whistle Messi shook hands with the opposition and tried to savour his final moments on the pitch, but one eager Benin player seemed determined to talk him into a selfie. The 39-year-old moved away without obliging.
Throughout the match Messi showed Benin's players nothing but respect. When play stopped in the tenth minute so the crowd could salute him with the applause he deserved, he embraced and shook hands with the very same opponents.
Then came the backlash. A section of fans seized on the selfie snub, firing scathing criticism at Messi and branding his behaviour a "lack of humility". He could have spared a few seconds for Benin's players, they argued, out of respect for men who had just taken part in his final friendly.
The famous and controversial Mexican account "La Catrina Norteña" reposted the clip with its own spin: "Messi did not want to take photos with the African players at his farewell ceremony. This is how he pushed away a Benin player who wanted to take a selfie with him, and continued walking straight ahead...".
Reactions split in two. Some pushed the same line and even accused Messi of racism, while others saw nothing out of the ordinary.
The account Universador piled in: "Even in his final days on the pitches? Was Messi selfish, arrogant and racist? It seems so". RHV echoed it bluntly: "Racist, and we already know it".
Others leapt to his defence. The account menduca61 shot back: "They (Benin's players) were advised not to approach Messi because the show had already begun, and they would be allowed to (take photos) later. Get the information first and then criticise, you idiot".
Luis Linares went further still: "You are suffering from psychological trauma towards Messi... your anti-Messi campaign (ignores the facts) because it is biased and extremely malicious".