Argentina may have fallen one victory short of retaining the World Cup, but Lionel Messi ensured that his teammates left the tournament with a personal reminder of their journey together.
The Argentina captain gave each player a customised mate set, complete with a personalised bag and the equipment needed to prepare the traditional South American drink. The gifts were revealed publicly by Kelci-Rose Bowers, the partner of Argentina defender Marcos Senesi, after the tournament.
According to Goal’s report on the personalised gifts, the sets were presented to Messi’s teammates as part of Argentina’s 2026 World Cup campaign.
A personal gift rooted in Argentina’s culture
Senesi’s set arrived in a caramel-coloured bag decorated with the Argentine Football Association badge, a World Cup motif and the defender’s name.
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“This is a personalised bag that Marcos got from the camp,” Bowers said, as quoted by The Sun’s account of the video.
Inside was a gold-coloured Stanley thermos carrying Messi’s personal logo, along with a mate cup, yerba mate and a traditional metal bombilla straw. Bowers was later entrusted with looking after the collection.
“Marcos gave me it to keep safe and take back to Miami,” she said.
Mate is prepared by steeping dried yerba mate leaves in hot water and drinking the infusion through a filtered metal straw. It is deeply embedded in Argentine culture and has also become a familiar part of the national team’s daily routine, with players regularly sharing the drink at training camps and during tournaments.
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The choice of gift therefore carried meaning beyond its material value. It reflected a ritual associated with conversation, friendship and time spent together, all qualities that have helped shape the close atmosphere within Argentina’s squad.
Senesi’s unexpected route to the World Cup
The gift was particularly significant for Senesi, whose place at the tournament had initially appeared unlikely.
The Tottenham defender was added to Lionel Scaloni’s squad shortly before the competition after Leonardo Balerdi was ruled out with a calf injury. According to Infobae’s report on the late squad change, Senesi was called up as the direct replacement for the injured Marseille centre-back.
Senesi subsequently made his World Cup debut in Argentina’s 3-1 group-stage victory over Jordan. According to the Argentine Football Association’s account of the match, he was one of five Argentina players to make their first appearance at the tournament that day.
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Another gesture from Argentina’s captain
It was not the first time Messi had marked a World Cup campaign by giving personalised presents to his teammates and members of the national-team staff.
Following Argentina’s triumph in Qatar in 2022, Messi ordered 35 customised iPhone 14 devices with gold-plated cases. According to Business Insider España’s report on the order, the collection was produced to commemorate Argentina’s victory and reportedly cost approximately €210,000.
The mate sets carried a different tone. Rather than celebrating another title, they became a reminder of a campaign that ended in disappointment but still produced several historic moments.
A brilliant tournament without the perfect ending
Argentina’s attempt to win consecutive World Cups ended with a 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain on July 19.
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According to FIFA’s official report from the final, Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute at New York New Jersey Stadium, securing Spain’s second world title.
Messi was unable to influence the final in the manner he had throughout the rest of the competition, but his individual tournament remained remarkable. The 39-year-old finished with eight goals and four assists in eight appearances, earning the Silver Boot after contributing directly to 12 of Argentina’s 19 goals.
According to FIFA’s tournament review, Messi was one of the defining players of the competition despite Argentina’s defeat. He had also set a new record earlier in the tournament by scoring in nine consecutive World Cup matches across the 2022 and 2026 editions.
The result denied Messi and Argentina another place in history, but the personalised gifts offered a quieter reflection of the captain’s influence. They represented the shared routines and relationships built inside the squad, and a bond that remained intact even after the trophy had slipped from their grasp.
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