🩵🤍 Full statement by Lionel Messi: “I wrote these words on July 21, two days after the final… today, after what happened with my dad, I’m even more convinced of this decision than before”.
“After all this time since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to tell everyone that I’m retiring from the national team.
"It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep inside, but I understand that this is the right moment.
"I swear I always gave everything, not only in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too. I always fought and gave everything for this shirt, to bring you happiness and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.
"There isn’t much time left, and different chapters are coming to an end. This is one that hurts me a lot. I love, I loved, and I will always love being part of the national team. I gave everything I had, and I don’t have anything more to give.
"Also, there are great young players coming through who deserve to be here.
"Thank you for all the love during these 20 years. I’m going to miss hearing you from the inside. Now I’ll be one of you, always supporting from the outside, in the good times and even more in the bad ones.
"Thank you to my family for always being there and for being with me throughout this beautiful but difficult journey. Thank you to every coach, teammate and director I had the chance to share it with. I take with me unforgettable memories and moments.
"I leave with peace and pride, knowing that together with my teammates we gave you moments we once dreamed of. It was crazy to experience all of this with you. I love you!
"Thank you God for making me Argentine.
"Vamos Argentina!
🚨Lautaro Martínez was asked about Lionel Messi’s influence during Argentina’s World Cup semi-final victory over England.
🎙️ Reporter: “Lautaro, can you tell us what Lionel Messi said to you after you came on?”
🗣️ Lautaro Martínez:
“People see the assists, the dribbles and the magic, but they don’t see what Leo does with his words.
When I came onto the pitch, he walked over to me and said, ‘Attack the space between the defenders. Go for the headers. Keep making those runs.’
I tried it the first time and it didn’t work. I looked at him, and instead of telling me to change, he kept giving me signs to keep believing. He knew the opportunity would come.
We were 1–1 with less than five minutes to play. Leo looked at the scoreboard, then looked straight at me and nodded. He didn’t even have to speak. I knew exactly what he wanted. I knew the assignment.
That’s what makes him different. He sees the game before everyone else. He knows where the space will open, and he gives you the confidence to attack it without hesitation.
Playing with him is incredible because he doesn’t only create chances with his feet. He creates belief in every player around him.
At 39 years old, he’s still leading Argentina in the biggest matches, still deciding games and still showing us why he’s the greatest footballer I’ve ever seen.
We’re in another World Cup final because once again, when Argentina needed someone to guide us, Lionel Messi was that man.”
🚨 Messi:
🎙️ Reporter: "Leo, how do you always manage to find teammates like Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez in those moments?"
Messi: 🗣️ "That's part of my job. If the opposition stops me from scoring, then I'll create the chance for my teammates. It doesn't matter who gets the goal - as long as Argentina wins, that's what matters most."
There are some young athletes who somehow have something different. Something beyond the required technical skills. That indefinable “X factor” which you just sense gives them the potential to develop into something special.
I sensed that when I saw Hendra Setiawan and his partner, the late Markis Kido, defeat the former world champions Sigit Budiarto and Candra Wijaya in the final of the 2005 Indonesia Open. So too when I first saw both Tai Tzu Ying and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo.
All had that something extra. Something I can’t quite pinpoint or describe but could tangibly sense was both special and different when compared to other talented youngsters.
I got that same feeling watching Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin winning the recent #AustraliaOpen2025. They are quite obviously hugely talented individuals, good technical skills, dynamic, adventurous and aggressive, making them exciting to watch.
And there is absolutely no doubt they’ve had an unbelievable start to their partnership. 6 titles from 8 finals in their first 12 tournaments together, including the title in Sydney when playing in their first ever Super 500 event on the #BWFWorldTour.
As a new young pair, they haven’t yet experienced the pressures that go with star status. With the innocence of youth, they have been able to compete with uninhibited freedom. To simply enjoy the thrill of the exhilarating ride while surfing on the crest of the sporting wave of success, blissfully unaware of the dangers that lurk in the murky waters beneath.
But the moment you achieve an outstanding result, the uninhibited innocence is shattered, and you are forced to deal with the harsh reality of sport – pressure and the heavy burden of expectation.
There has been so much talk and excitement surrounding Indra and Joaquin, and with that spotlight comes pressure. But that’s a fundamental and unavoidable part of sport. How they now handle and deal with that pressure will be crucial in their development.
There’s no doubting the raw talent and potential of these two young Indonesians, and I can’t help but sense, we may just have witnessed the start of something special.
📷 @badmintonphoto
#Badminton
GOL PEMASTI KEMENANGAN INDONESIA OLEH MARSELINO FERDINAN LEWAT FINISHING SUPER DINGIN SEDINGIN DINGINNYA DINGIN 🧊🥶
CALVIN VERDONK SPRINT YANG SANGAT APAAA 🔥😳
✅ RESMI : Market value Mees Hilgers kini naik ke angka €10 juta (Rp170 miliar) pasca debutnya bersama timnas Indonesia vs Bahrain kemarin.
Mees kini jadi salah satu pemain TERMAHAL FC Twente. 🤯
Kemenangan pertama Timnas Indonesia dalam Kualifikasi Piala Dunia ronde ketiga harusnya jadi kado ulang tahun terindah untuk STY, tapi semuanya rusak karena keputusan wasit. 😭💔
Selamat ulang tahun coach, terima kasih banyak telah berjuang untuk negara ini. 🥹🇮🇩