Lionel Messi has given his Argentina teammates a special and deeply personal gift following the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup campaign. Marcos Senesi’s girlfriend, Kelsey-Rose Bowers, revealed the Argentina captain’s gesture on social media, sharing a video showing off the gold-coloured mate set that Messi had gifted her partner.
A Special Gift for the Argentina Squad
Messi presented the entire Argentina squad with personalised mate sets after the World Cup. Bowers brought the story to public attention by posting a video online after Senesi returned home from the national team camp.
“I have to show you something beautiful — you will love it when you see it,” Bowers said in the video, holding a brown bag emblazoned with the Argentine Football Association (AFA) logo, the World Cup trophy, and Senesi’s name. “Marcos brought this bag back from the camp. It has his name on it. It is his kit. Messi gave this to every player on the team.”
Inside the Personalised Set
The customised bag contained a gold Stanley thermos flask bearing Messi’s personal brand logo, along with a mate cup, a packet of yerba mate, and a metal straw fitted with a spoon.
It is worth noting that mate is an extremely popular caffeinated herbal drink originating from South America, traditionally prepared by steeping dried yerba mate leaves in hot water.
This heartfelt gesture from Messi came in the wake of a painful defeat in the World Cup final, in which Spain claimed the title with a 1-0 victory over Argentina, courtesy of Ferran Torres’ goal in the 106th minute of extra time.
Senesi and Bowers’ Football Journey
While Senesi works to maintain his standing at the highest level of professional football, Bowers also has a strong footballing background in her own right. She came through the academies of Chelsea and Southampton before going on to play college football at Louisiana State University in the United States. She later returned to the United Kingdom and joined Bournemouth — where she first met the centre-back.
Senesi recently departed Bournemouth to join Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer, signing a four-year contract with the north London club under head coach Roberto De Zerbi ahead of the 2026-27 Premier League season.
