🇦🇷 Messi’s Retirement Story Had Already Happened Once
Lionel Messi’s decision to step away from international football at 39 carries an unexpected echo: this wasn’t the first time he had said goodbye to Argentina. ❤️
In 2016, after years of heartbreaking defeats with the national team, Messi announced his retirement following Argentina’s loss to Chile in the Copa América final.
At the time, the disappointment seemed overwhelming.
But Messi returned.
And what followed transformed his international legacy completely. 🥹
He won the 2021 Copa América, finally claiming a major senior international trophy with Argentina. Then, in 2022, he achieved the prize that had eluded him throughout his career:
🏆 The FIFA World Cup.
Another Copa América title followed in 2024, further cementing his place among Argentina’s greatest footballing legends.
Now, at 39, Messi has reportedly reached the end of his international journey once again.
The difference is that this time, he leaves having accomplished almost everything imaginable in an Argentina shirt.
The player who once walked away because the heartbreak had become too much eventually returned to lead his country to its greatest triumph.
Sometimes, a goodbye isn’t the end of the story.
Sometimes, it’s simply the beginning of the greatest chapter yet. 🇦🇷❤️🐐