Argentina superstar Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football, prompting heartfelt tributes from teammates like Angel Di Maria, Enzo Fernandez, and Rodrigo De Paul, thanking him for his incredible career and impact on the sport.
Messi announces his international retirement over one month after his side, Argentina's, FIFA World Cup 2026 final loss to Spain by 1-0 and just days after the demise of his father, Jorge Messi. Messi's father died on August 8 in the central Argentine city of Rosario at the age of 68.
Teammates pay heartfelt tribute to Messi
After the 39-year-old announced his retirement, some of Messi's teammates took to the comments section, with Di Maria, Martinez and Rodrigo giving him heartfelt tributes and congratulations which highlighted his impact on Argentine football. These names shared the stage with Messi when he finally "shook hands with paradise" after winning the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
Angel Di Maria: 'The greatest in history'
Taking to the comments section, Di Maria, wrote, "We will be grateful to you for the rest of our lives, for being Argentine and for taking Argentina to the top of the world. For choosing to represent Argentina when you could easily have chosen something else. Thank you, Captain. Thank you for everything. The greatest in history."
Rodrigo De Paul: 'Thank you for making us so incredibly happy'
Rodrigo, who also plays with Messi at Inter Miami club in the Major League Soccer (MLS) in US, also hailed the legend's "unconditional love for the country and his inner battles to never give up".
"Your unconditional love for our country, your inner battles to never give up, your strength to always endure injustice, your leadership and humanity with every player who stepped onto the training ground, making sure they felt comfortable, and the care you showed every member of staff in our national team... Just thank you. The greatest of all time. Thank you for making us so incredibly happy. You can't imagine how many smiles you brought to our faces!! You are eternal," said Rodrigo.
Lisandro Martinez: 'A winner in football and a winner in life'
Lisandro also commented, calling him the "greatest athlete in history" and also said that his daughter would be proud that he shared the team with "such an extraordinary human being"
"A huge sadness, honestly. You're never prepared for these things, but from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!! "You are my example and an example for the whole world, a winner in football and a winner in life!! "My daughter will be very proud that her father shared a team with such an extraordinary human being. "You are the greatest athlete in history, because when it comes to football, honestly, there is no comparison. "I love you so much," commented Lisandro in Messi's post.
Enzo Fernandez: 'We're going to miss you so much, Captain'
Enzo, the 25-year-old who had asked Messi to come out of his first international retirement in 2016 after losing the Copa America final to Chile that year, also posted a heartfelt note for the football legend, saying that he would calculate the age gap between both of them to see if he would get a chance to play with Messi.
"Leo, when you said you were leaving the national team back then, I was really sad. I was just a kid, calculating the age gap between us to see if I might ever get to play alongside you. It might sound silly, but I really did it: I would think about how many years you might have left and how long it would take me to reach the first team, dreaming that--even if just for once--we might share the pitch wearing the Argentina jersey. Luckily, you came back," he said.
Enzo also spoke about sharing everything from the "locker room, conversations, hugs, tough times, incredible moments" and finally the World Cup trophy with Messi. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Enzo Fernández (@enzojfernandez)
"And life turned out to be far more beautiful than that kid could have ever imagined. I didn't just get to play with you. We shared training camps, the locker room, conversations, hugs, tough times, and incredible moments--and we ended up becoming world champions together," he continued.
Enzo said that he would be grateful for how Messi treated him right from his international debut and made him feel a part of the team. He also said that it would be hard for him to imagine a training camp without him.
"But above all, I will always be grateful for how you treated me from the moment I arrived. I came in hoping to share the pitch with my idol, but I found a person who made me feel like one of the team right from the start. You always had a kind word, a piece of advice, a hug, or simply a way of putting me at ease when I needed it. I will never forget that," he said.
"It is hard for me to imagine the next training camp without you today. Stepping onto the pitch and not seeing you ahead of me, wearing the number 10. I spent so many years seeing you there that it feels impossible to picture it any other way. I was so lucky, Leo. That kid who used to do the math--wondering if he would ever make it in time--was so lucky. Thank you for the way you treated me, for everything you taught me, and for letting me share a part of your story. We're going to miss you so much, Captain," he signed off.
'This is a decision that hurts': Messi's retirement statement
In a written statement, as quoted by 433, Messi said, "After all this time since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to tell everyone that I'm retiring from the national team. It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep inside, but I understand that this is the right moment."
"I swear I always gave everything, not only in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too. I always fought and gave everything for this shirt, to bring you happiness and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football," he added.
Messi acknowledged that the end of this chapter of his career "hurts him a lot", as he "gave everything he had and he does not have anything more to give". He also pointed to the emergence of young talent within the squad, saying that they "deserve to be here".
"There is not much time left, and different chapters are coming to an end. This is one that hurts me a lot. I love, I loved, and I will always love being part of the national team. I gave everything I had, and I don't have anything more to give. Also, there are great young players coming through who deserve to be here," he said.
He thanked everyone for their love for these past two decades, saying that while he will miss their support on the field, he will now be amongst the fans supporting the national side in their good and bad times.
"Thank you to my family for always being there and for being with me throughout this beautiful but difficult journey. Thank you to every coach, teammate and director I had the chance to share it with. I take with me unforgettable memories and moments," he said.
"I leave with peace and pride, knowing that together with my teammates we gave you moments we once dreamed of. It was crazy to experience all of this with you. I love you!."
On a concluding note, he said, "Thank you God for making me Argentine. Vamos Argentina!" I wrote these words on July 21, two days after the final. Today, after what happened with my dad, I am even more convinced of this decision than before."
A legendary international career
The Argentina skipper is his country's most-capped player and highest goal scorer, with 203 appearances and 124 goals. He is also the highest goal-scorer in South American football history.
In 2022, after years of heartbreaks, particularly the 2014 FIFA World Cup final loss to Germany, Messi tasted FIFA World Cup glory, beating a Kylian Mbappe-powered France in the final. It was his country's first WC in 36 years and their third overall, as per ESPN.
Before that, Messi had also played a massive role in ending Argentina's 28-year title drought, securing the Copa America title in 2021 and winning it back-to-back after World Cup glory in the 2024 edition.
Messi had previously announced his international retirement back in 2016 after Argentina lost to Chile in the Copa America final that year but reversed his retirement, leading his nation to World Cup glory six years later in Qatar. Messi scored two goals in the title clash and also converted a penalty, winning the match 4-2 for his side after the match ended in 3-3 draw at regulation time.
The legendary footballer appeared in six FIFA World Cups from 2006 to 2026, scoring 21 goals in 34 matches. He is the second-highest goal-scorer in the tournament's history, with France's Mbappe holding the record with 22 goals.
In this year's World Cup, Messi had eight goals to his name and four assists, making him one of the standout performers in the tournament. This also included his maiden FIFA WC hat-trick against Algeria. He had overtaken Germany legend Miroslav Klose's record of most FIFA World Cup goals before Mbappe snatched the top spot from him.
Messi will, however, continue playing for his club, Inter Miami, in Major League Soccer (MLS). Inter Miami is currently placed fourth in the MLS with 12 wins, six draws and four losses, giving them 42 points, 10 points behind Nashville SC. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)