Arthur Zagré, a 25-year-old left-back for FC Utrecht and a three-time Burkina Faso international, said he had long dreamed of playing against his idol Lionel Messi. He described the opportunity as having come very close, but said the dream ultimately went unfulfilled. Zagré was recently called up by Burkina Faso coach Amir Abdou for two 2027 Africa Cup qualifying matches against Benin and the Central African Republic. He said the selection made him very happy and felt unreal.