Cristiano Ronaldo Pays Tribute To Lionel Messi After Argentina Farewell

Anyanaso Florence Obumunwe October 08, 2026 11:04 AM 47 views 0 comments

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has set aside one of football's greatest rivalries to pay tribute to Lionel Messi after the Argentine's emotional farewell to international football.

Messi, 39, ended his 21-year Argentina career in style on Tuesday, scoring once and providing two assists in a 3-0 friendly win over Benin in front of more than 85,000 fans at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.

A day later, Messi posted an emotional message on Instagram: "Yesterday was my last game, and I already miss wearing the blue and white. I know I'm making the right decision. It's been an incredible journey, full of joy and also some sadness, but I know for sure that every step I took was worth it."

He also paid tribute to Diego Maradona and thanked his family, clubs and fans.

Eight minutes after the post, which gained over 3 million likes in 30 minutes, Ronaldo replied with a classy message.

"Leo, after so many years of defending your country, you've made history that will last forever. I have the utmost respect for what you've accomplished with Argentina. A hug," the 41-year-old Al Nassr forward wrote.

Messi retires as Argentina's all-time record appearance maker with 208 caps and top scorer with 126 goals. He captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup, two Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024, and the 2022 Finalissima.

The tribute highlighted the mutual respect between the two legends who dominated world football for over 15 years, winning 13 Ballon d'Ors between them and scoring over 1,900 goals combined.

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