Cristiano Ronaldo pays tribute after Lionel Messi's Argentina farewell

Cristiano Ronaldo paid tribute to Lionel Messi on October 7 after the Argentina forward said he already missed playing for his country. Messi's final international appearance came the previous day at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, where Argentina beat Benin 3-0. Ronaldo's response followed Messi's farewell message, adding a personal tribute to an occasion that had already ended with a goal for the departing captain.

Messi wrote that Tuesday's match had been his last and that he already missed wearing Argentina's blue and white shirt, according to Cadena SER and Band, which reported his October 7 message. He said he believed he was making the right decision. His words described a farewell to the national team; they did not announce the end of his club career.

What Ronaldo said to Messi

Ronaldo replied to Messi's farewell post with a message of respect for his years representing Argentina. Cadena SER reported that the Portugal captain told Messi he had made a history that would last forever and expressed respect for what he had achieved with his country. Band separately reported the response. Neither report establishes the exact time Ronaldo posted his comment, so October 7 is the date of the documented reports rather than a verified timestamp for the reply itself.

The exchange brought together two players whose careers have often been compared. Cadena SER recalled their long spells at Barcelona and Real Madrid and their competition for football's major honours. Ronaldo's message addressed Messi's Argentina record specifically. It did not refer to his future at Inter Miami or make any claim about Ronaldo's own international plans.

How Argentina's 3-0 win over Benin unfolded

Associated Press reported that Messi scored from the penalty spot and set up Argentina's other two goals. It said more than 85,000 tickets sold out in 90 minutes and that members of the country's 1978, 1986 and 2022 World Cup-winning squads returned for the occasion. Those details describe the scale of the farewell; the result itself was a friendly win, with Otamendi, Paz and Messi on the scoresheet.

The match followed an earlier retirement announcement. Associated Press reported that Messi had announced on August 31 that he would leave international football, weeks after Argentina lost the 2026 World Cup final to Spain. Tuesday's game was therefore the farewell appearance after that decision. Its timing matters: Messi's October 7 post reflected on a choice already made and on a final match already played.

Messi's farewell to Argentina and his club future

In the message reproduced by Cadena SER, Messi thanked his family, teammates, coaches and the clubs that had allowed him to answer Argentina's call. He also remembered Diego Maradona. He described his time with the national team as a journey that had brought joy and sadness, and said he was grateful to those who had shared it. The post conveyed the personal weight of leaving Argentina duty without setting out any new club plans.

Messi leaves a national-team career that Associated Press described as spanning 21 years. Its account credited him with 126 goals for Argentina, two Copa América titles and a World Cup championship. Argentina won the Copa América in 2021 and 2024 and the World Cup in 2022. These achievements explain why the farewell drew attention beyond the 3-0 result and why Ronaldo's reply focused on what Messi had accomplished for his country.

Associated Press reported that Messi will continue playing for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. The distinction is central to the farewell: he has ended his Argentina career, while his club career continues. The available reports establish his stated decision, Tuesday's final international appearance and Ronaldo's subsequent tribute. They do not establish a new federation ruling or a date for any later change to his club status.