🩵🤍 Lionel Messi: “I’m going to miss all of you so much, but I’ll always be on your side. I’ll be supporting these boys and everyone who comes after them”.
Looking up Argentina's fixtures weeks in advance to make sure I wouldn't miss them, finding illegal streams in 2013 to watch them play Ecuador on a random Wednesday night, scouting young Argentinians on YouTube to see if anyone might help the team, learning all of the Argentine chants before going to the Copa America final in 2016, seeing him miss his penalty and lose that final, stressing over every managerial appointment, trying to convince myself the team could win the World Cup with Christian Pavon and Maxi Meza, arguing with everyone about how insanely difficult it is to play in South America, crying when he finally won in 2022, and then watching like a proud dad in 2026 when he'd accomplished all there was to accomplish, and we could just enjoy one last ride.
Thought about, worried about, and cared deeply about the Argentine national team for 15+ years. It truly became a huge part of my life because of one man.
And what a ride it was.
Thank you, Leo 🙌
𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗦, 𝗟𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜 🇧🇯💛🇦🇷
Tu es un modèle pour des millions de Béninois. Merci pour toutes ces émotions et pour l’honneur d’avoir disputé ton dernier match face au Bénin.
Todos los argentinos son bienvenidos a Benín.
🩵🤍 Lionel Messi: “I’d have loved to be here with Argentina forever, until the end of my life… but it’s time to retire”.
“After the last World Cup, it’s time to say goodbye. Thanks because representing Argentina is the best thing ever”.