Jose Mourinho Pens Emotional Message to Lionel Messi After Retirement From International Football
- Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football on Monday, ending a career spanning more than 20 years with Argentina
- The 39-year-old cited the death of his father, Jorge, as a factor in his decision to step away from the national team
- Jose Mourinho, one of Messi's fiercest rivals on the touchline, was among the first to publicly react to the news
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Lionel Messi brought his international career to a close on Monday, August 31, confirming in an Instagram post that he would no longer represent Argentina after more than two decades wearing the Albiceleste shirt.
Messi ends his international stint as Argentina's all-time leading scorer and most-capped player, having netted 125 goals in 207 appearances.
Source: Getty Images
As seen on BBC Sport, his debut came in 2005, a 63rd-minute substitute appearance in a 2-1 friendly win over Hungary, though it ended abruptly when he was shown a straight red card less than a minute after coming on for catching full-back Vilmos Vanczak with his elbow.
That rocky beginning bore little resemblance to what followed.
Messi went on to lift the World Cup and two Copa America titles with Argentina, finishing his career as the second-highest scorer in World Cup history with 21 goals, one behind France's Kylian Mbappe.
In the overall international goals ranking, he sits second behind Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, who holds the record with 146 goals.
Across all club and country appearances, Messi has scored a combined 921 goals for Barcelona, Paris St-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina.
The 39-year-old wrote:
"Time is running short, chapters come to a close, and this is one that hurts me deeply." Messi said he had been reflecting on his future in football since the death of his father, Jorge, earlier this month.
Mourinho reacts to Messi's retirement
Jose Mourinho was among the first prominent figures in football to respond publicly.
The Portuguese manager, who built some of the most competitive and combative matchups against Messi during his three seasons at Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, offered warm words despite their history of fierce rivalry.
"Congratulations on a brilliant and unforgettable international career," Mourinho said.
"The next Copa América and the next World Cup won't be the same."
The tribute carried particular weight given the backdrop of their encounters.
Mourinho faced Messi across stints at Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, and their head-to-head record across all competitive fixtures shows Barcelona and Messi coming out on top: eight wins for Messi's side against six for Mourinho's teams, with four draws, per The Times of India.
During those years at Real Madrid, Messi scored 26 goals against Mourinho's side, the highest scoring output against any single manager's tenure in La Liga history.
That era defined one of football's great tactical rivalries, with Mourinho's disciplined, defensive setups repeatedly tested by a player whose ability to decide matches on his own terms made him almost impossible to contain consistently.
With Messi's retirement from international football now confirmed, one of the sport's longest and most celebrated chapters has officially come to an end.
FIFA sends message to Messi
Earlier, Legit.ng reported about Messi's retirement from international football, marking the end of a remarkable 20-year career with the Argentina national team. As the emotional announcement followed the passing of his father, Messi reflected on the deep impact of family and loss, leaving fans and the football community to ponder the legacy of an icon who has touched millions.
Source: Legit.ng
