Cristiano Ronaldo led the tributes from the football world as Lionel Messi signed off from international football, with the Portuguese great saluting his long-time rival’s two-decade journey with Argentina.
“Leo, so many years defending your country and a history that will last forever,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram, replying to a post in which Messi reflected on his farewell night. “All my respect for what you have achieved with Argentina.”
The two players dominated the game for well over a decade, sharing the Ballon d’Or between them for years and going head-to-head in LaLiga when Messi was at Barcelona and Ronaldo at Real Madrid.
Messi, 39, ended his 21-year Argentina career on Tuesday night, October 6, with a penalty and two assists in a 3-0 friendly win over Benin at the Monumental in Buenos Aires. All three goals came in the second half.
Brazilian great Ronaldinho, who was a mentor to a teenage Messi at Barcelona, said it had been a pleasure to be part of his story “since day one.”
“You made us smile and enjoy football so much!!! Your name is etched in the history of your country and the entire world,” Ronaldinho wrote on X. “You gave your all for your national team and your country… I understand you perfectly, and I know that anything involving family makes us rethink things. Enjoy life, brother.”
Neymar, who played alongside Messi at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, thanked the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner for “making me love football even more”.
“Those who love football have cherished watching you all these years,” the Brazilian wrote.
Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, Messi’s close friend and Inter Miami teammate, said the forward had shaped him as a player and as a man. “He made me grow not only as a footballer, but also as a person,” De Paul said.
Night at the Monumental
The Argentine Football Association had billed Messi’s 208th appearance as a farewell occasion, and more than 85,000 tickets were sold.
The referee stopped play in the 10th minute so players and fans could honour Argentina’s number 10, with Messi standing on the pitch surrounded by teammates from the 2022 World Cup-winning side as fireworks went off above the stadium. Even Benin players joined in the applause.
Argentina went ahead in the 48th minute when Nicolas Otamendi headed in a Messi corner. The match was also a farewell for the 38-year-old vice-captain.
After the final whistle, Messi addressed the crowd, thanking supporters and saying that representing Argentina for over 20 years had been a matter of great pride. Earlier, he had been awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Buenos Aires.
Messi had announced his international retirement in August, weeks after Argentina’s bad-tempered World Cup final defeat to Spain in New Jersey, where he left the field in tears. The decision also followed the recent death of his father.
“I gave it my all; I have nothing left to give,” he had written while announcing the decision.
Messi’s records
Messi leaves as the most decorated player in Argentina’s history, holding the national records for appearances (208), goals (126) and assists. Among men, only Ronaldo has scored more international goals.
His honours with Argentina include the 2008 Beijing Olympic gold, the 2022 World Cup, the Copa America in 2021 and 2024, and the 2022 Finalissima. He and Ronaldo share the record of playing in six World Cups.
Messi will now focus on club football with Inter Miami.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, is caught up in a bitter row with the Portugal national team. He left the squad midway through the recent international window and accused coach Jorge Jesus of having “broken his word twice” over promised playing time.
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