๐จ๐จ๐จ๐ฅน LEO MESSI ON IG:
"Dad, I still canโt believe youโre gone. It hasnโt sunk in, or rather, I donโt want it to. Itโs so hard for me to imagine that Iโm never going to see you again, that weโre never going to talk again. I know you were suffering and that this is for the best, but you left us far too soon. We still had so much left to enjoy together.
"You kept asking me to play in one last World Cup, and just days before it began was when your condition got worse. It was the first time you werenโt going to be there with me at a tournament, but Mom kept telling me you were going to get better and that youโd be well enough to travel. I kept telling you we were going to reach the final so you could make the trip.
"After every match, I waited for and missed your message. Thatโs when I realized how serious the situation really was. Even so, I couldnโt stop thinking about going as far as possible, to give you more time and the chance to watch one of the games.
"We reached the final, but you couldnโt be there. I wanted to win it so I could bring the trophy to you and show you another one. I couldnโt. My legs just couldnโt give me any more. This time I tried to push beyond what my body could handle, but I couldnโt. I never managed to feel physically right.
"When I got back, you thought we had lost the final on penalties. We couldnโt talk about anything that had happened. You werenโt able to enjoy any of it. We didnโt become champions, but you have no idea how much we enjoyed every match. Once again, you were right: I had to be there and play in it.
"Iโm telling you all this because it was the only thing we never got the chance to talk about. You already know everything else. We spoke every day and saw each other whenever my commitments allowed us to.
"I donโt know what Iโm going to do without you. I donโt know how to keep going. All I ever did was play football, and now I have serious doubts about whether Iโll keep doing it for much longer. You were by my side from the very beginning, and there was so little left until the end. Why couldnโt you hold on just a little longer so we could finish it together?
I know your happiness came from seeing your family doing well, your wife, your children and, above all, without anyone else knowing, from watching me playโฆ
"It had always been that way since I was little. You took me to every training session as soon as you got home from work. Mom took me to many of them because you were working.
"And of course, you never missed a single match. How much you suffered watching me, and how much you enjoyed it, even though you never gave me too much praise.
"You were my dad, my friend, and my representative. You always knew exactly who you needed to be in every moment, and you were never wrong about anything. Despite some arguments or disagreements, you were always right. In the end, things always turned out the way you said they would.
"Iโm going to miss you so much, but youโll always be present, especially in the way I raise my children, because I teach them and raise them the way you and Mom raised me.
"Rest in peace and watch over us from above, just as you did here. Thank you for everything.
"I love you, Dad. โค๏ธ"
Messi's IG post from 3 hours ago. ๐ญโค
See that first "adjustment" - it's not script o.
Demonic genius with autistic OCPD.
My leader has seen all the social media noise, injeeeeeeccct it o. ๐ญ
๐จ BREAKING: Nicolas Otamendi announces his RETIREMENT from the Argentina National Team ๐๐ฆ๐ท
๐ฃ๏ธ "Today I have to write the hardest words of my entire career.
"Ever since I was a child, I dreamed of wearing the Argentina national team shirt. It was the greatest privilege football ever gave me. I defended it with all my soul, with pride, and with the responsibility of knowing what it means to millions of Argentinians.
"Fate decided that my last match would be a World Cup final. It wasnโt the result we wanted, but I leave with my head held high, knowing this group fought until the very last second.
"I say goodbye with the peace of mind that I gave absolutely everything. I never held anything back, I never stopped believing, and I never stopped feeling that wearing this shirt was the greatest honor of my life.
"Thank you to the Argentine fans. Thank you for your unconditional love, for every flag, every song, and for standing by us through the good times and, above all, the hardest ones. You made us feel that every time the national anthem played, we werenโt just eleven players, we were millions of people defending the same dream.
"Thank you to my family. You were my refuge after every setback and my strength through every challenge. You endured the distance, the time apart, the tears, and the frustrations. I never walked this path alone; every step we took together.
"And to those who continue wearing this shirt today, I want to tell you something from the bottom of my heart, never stop believing. There will be moments that seem impossible to overcome, but this shirt always rewards those who defend it with humility, sacrifice, and love. Keep your heads up, keep fighting, and never let one defeat take away your hope. Iโm convinced that the next chapter of our history will belong to you.
"Today I say goodbye to the Argentina national team, but with immense pride for having represented my country. Titles remain in history, but the love for these colors lasts forever.
"Thank you, Argentina. Thank you for allowing me to fulfill my dream of becoming a world champion and wearing the most beautiful shirt in the world."
LEGEND.
๐จ Rodrigo De Paul: "Today I see how many people were waiting for us to fall, spreading baseless conspiracy theories throughout the entire World Cup to ease the pain of not being able to experience what all Argentines were experiencing, because our smiles bother them, because the way we are bothers them. But all that did was reaffirm that the passion and love for our shirt can overcome anything."
Here's the English translation of Lamine Yamal in the video:
"This is truly madness. After playing against Leo Messi in a final... I'm struggling not to cry right now. This victory is for my family, for Rocafonda. Playing against Leo on a stage like this felt unreal. He's the greatest of all time and someone I've always admired. When the final whistle blew, my first instinct was to go show him all my respect. He told me to keep going on my path because the future belongs to our generation. Hearing those words from him is something I'll carry with me for the rest of my career. It's almost as big as the gold medal around my neck."