‘Immortal’—Soccer World Reacts to Lionel Messi’s Emotional Argentina Retirement

By the end of Lionel Messi’s international career, the Argentina men’s national team felt more like a cult to one individual rather than a nation.

The sovereign of Messi disciples had an ever-expanding population of international soccer players. That fervor was openly fueled by manager Lionel Scaloni, who crafted a team of energetic runners to do the heavy lifting while Messi applied a magical finishing touch. Against all odds and the perceived wisdom of the modern game, you could in fact win trophies while having a passenger out of possession. As long as he was Messi.

After the splurge of silverware to end his Argentina career, it can be easy to forget how hard international duty was for Messi for so long. This is the same player who was sent off on his debut and lost five international finals. Messi has already retired from Argentinian duty (twice) after having his patriotism questioned by fans back in South America.

Yet, throughout it all, Messi remains proud of his heritage. Despite leaving the country at 13 and never returning on a permanent basis, Argentina’s all-time leading appearance maker, scorer and assister still retains a strong Rosario accent. He drinks mate and plays Truco.

The almost universal reaction to Messi’s international retirement was one of gratitude: countless social media accounts queued up to thank the great man for his feats in white and blue. Yet, it was Messi who was also dishing out the praise: “Thank you, God, for making me Argentine.”

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