Lamine Yamal Pays Tribute to Lionel Messi After His International Retirement
- Lamine Yamal shared a photo with Lionel Messi after the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, where the two faced off for the first time
- Messi announced his retirement from international football weeks after Argentina's final loss to Spain
- The match carried deep symbolic weight for fans, coming nearly 20 years after the iconic bathtub photo that first linked the two players
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Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has paid tribute to Lionel Messi following the Argentina captain's retirement from international football, which came in the wake of his country's 2026 FIFA World Cup final defeat to Spain.
Messi's announcement caught the football world off guard, even as many had suspected he would step away from the national team after the final.
Source: Getty Images
What surprised observers was the manner and timing of the announcement. The Argentina legend published a handwritten note revealing he had put his thoughts to paper two days after the World Cup, and that the subsequent death of his father had further cemented his decision to walk away.
Yamal reacts to Messi's retirement
As noted by Albiceleste Talk, Yamal took to Instagram to share a photograph of himself alongside Messi taken after the World Cup final. The gesture served as the young Spaniard's public acknowledgement of the moment and the man who defined the era he is now stepping into.
The World Cup final carried a significance beyond the scoreline. It was the first time Messi and Yamal had ever met in a competitive fixture, nearly two decades after a now-famous bathtub photoshoot that first connected the pair in the public imagination.
Many fans interpreted the image as a symbolic handover, with the teenage Barcelona star being widely seen as the next face of world football.
Tributes from across the football world have continued to pour in following Messi's retirement announcement, with Yamal among the high-profile figures to acknowledge the Argentine's extraordinary international career.
Messi's record and influence on the game made his final bow a moment that resonated well beyond Argentina's fanbase.
Messi's retirement brings the curtain down on one of the most decorated international careers in football history, one that included the 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph in Qatar.
Messi's mother speaks after his retirement
Legit.ng previously reported that Lionel Messi’s mother Celia Cuccuttini spoke after the Inter Miami star confirmed his retirement from Argentina duty.
Celia admitted that he is emotional despite knowing that the day would come and also confirmed that Jorge Messi’s death left a dent in Messi’s heart.
Source: Legit.ng
