Published : 01 Sep 2026, 09:49 AM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:37 AM
Lionel Messi’s retirement from international football has prompted an outpouring of emotion from his Argentina teammates, who have remembered not only the greatness of the footballer but the captain and teammate they shared a dressing room with.
Messi, the record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, announced on social media on Monday that he was bringing down the curtain on his Argentina career after more than two decades.
He leaves having won virtually everything available at international level, just as he did in club football.
Already regarded arguably the greatest players the game has seen, for many of those who played alongside him there is no debate at all.
Leandro Paredes was unequivocal.
“Thank you for absolutely everything. You are and always will be the greatest of all time. We love you, Captain,” the midfielder wrote.
Messi departs as Argentina’s record appearance-maker and all-time leading scorer, with 207 caps and 125 goals.
As captain, he helped end Argentina’s 28-year wait for a major trophy by lifting the Copa América in 2021.
A year later came the prize he had pursued for much of his career: the World Cup in Qatar, where Argentina became world champions for the first time in 36 years.
They successfully defended their Copa América crown in 2024.
Messi, aged 39, then led Argentina to another World Cup final in 2026, his third appearance in the showpiece match, before Lionel Scaloni’s side were beaten 1-0 by Spain.
But the messages from his teammates have focused as much on the person behind those achievements as on the trophies.
Rodrigo De Paul, who also plays alongside Messi at Inter Miami, recalled his captain’s devotion to Argentina, his resilience through difficult years and the way he welcomed every new player into the national-team environment.
He ended his tribute simply: “Simply, thank you. The greatest of all time… You are eternal.”
De Paul also highlighted Messi’s “unconditional love” for Argentina and the attention he paid not only to teammates but to staff working around the national team.
The relationship between the pair grew particularly close during Argentina’s resurgence under Scaloni, with De Paul becoming one of Messi’s most trusted teammates during the Copa América and World Cup triumphs.
For Lisandro Martínez, Messi’s influence went beyond football altogether.
“You are the greatest athlete in history, because when it comes to football, honestly, there is no comparison. I love you so much,” the defender wrote.
Martínez said there was “a huge sadness” at the announcement and that nobody could really prepare for Messi’s departure.
He also reflected on what sharing a dressing room with the Argentina captain would mean to his own family, saying his daughter would one day be proud that her father had played alongside such an extraordinary person.
The tributes have also come from those who shared much longer journeys with Messi.
Ángel Di María, who retired from international football after Argentina’s 2024 Copa América triumph, played alongside Messi for much of his national-team career and was there for some of its most painful defeats as well as its greatest celebrations.
Di María highlighted a decision Messi made long before the trophies arrived: choosing Argentina when his upbringing in Barcelona meant he could potentially have followed a different international path.
“Thank you, Captain. Thank you for everything. The best in history,” Di María wrote.
Nico Paz, widely tipped as a future heir to Argentina’s No. 10 shirt in the post-Messi era, also paid tribute to the departing captain.
“Thank you, Leo.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for the national team, and for teaching me and millions of people to keep fighting when things don’t go well.
“When millions of people insulted you, even though you had nothing to prove to anyone, you chose to keep fighting, and in the end you achieved what you deserved so much.
“Thank you for everything. Keep enjoying what you love most, football, because we’ll keep enjoying watching you.”
Messi’s wife Antonela Roccuzzo, who has been beside him through both the disappointments and triumphs of his career, also reflected on the journey.
“What a pride it has been to be by your side on this journey and to see you fulfill all your dreams,” she wrote.
For Messi’s Argentina teammates, however, the farewell appears to be about something larger than numbers.
They saw close up the player who endured years of criticism for supposedly failing to reproduce his Barcelona brilliance for his country; who lost World Cup and Copa América finals; who briefly walked away from international football in 2016; and who returned to lead Argentina through the most successful period of his international career.
