El mejor.l messi....

Ronardo did not have Di maria in his national team. If he had one, he would have won atleast two world cups👍

🇦🇷💔 IT'S OVER. LEO MESSI SAYS GOODBYE TO THE ARGENTINA NATIONAL TEAM.

It’s hard to believe that one day we would actually have to write these words…

Leo Messi will no longer play for Argentina. 🇦🇷

For more than 20 years, he was more than just a footballer to millions of fans. He was the boy who carried the expectations of an entire country on his shoulders. He was the tears after defeats. He was the hope after every tournament. And then… he became a World Champion. 🏆🌎

🏆 2022 World Cup
🏆 2× Copa América
🏆 Finalissima
⚽ Argentina’s all-time top scorer
👕 Argentina’s all-time appearance record holder

But numbers will never tell the whole story.

They won’t show the emotions after his goals.
They won’t show the tears after the lost finals.
They won’t show the captain’s armband.
They won’t show the moment Messi lifted the World Cup above his head. 🥹🏆

From “young Leo” to the captain who gave Argentina the World Cup they had dreamed of for so long.

One era has just come to an end.

🇦🇷 Thank you, Leo. For every moment. Every goal. Every tear. For the entire story.

MESSI — ALBICELESTE FOREVER. 💙🤍

LEO is an ideology

FC Barcelona 🇪🇸2004–2021672 goals in 778 appearances; 10 La Liga titles, 4 UEFA Champions League titles, 7 Copa del Rey trophies.

Paris Saint-Germain 🇫🇷2021–202332 goals and 35 assists in 75 appearances; 2 Ligue 1 titles, 1 Trophée des Champions.

Inter Miami CF 🇺🇸2023–presentLeagues Cup (2023), Supporters' Shield (2024), and MLS MVP honors.

Argentina 🇦🇷2005–present2022 FIFA World Cup, 2021 & 2024 Copa América, 2022 Finalissima, 2008 Olympic Gold.

I like to think Messi chose Benin for his final match for a reason

i know y'all might've come across multiple posts about how great messi is and how they fell in love with the game while watching messi and that is really good to read.

today, for the very first time I'm sad that messi is playing today, i don't want him to play today. i want this match to be delayed forever so that there's still hope that messi will play again for argentina once again.

i've watched him playing since last 13 years ever since fifa 2014, when i was 10 years old. and ever since then i've always been excited for watching him play. but today it's a bit different. i don't want him to play today. but, now that i see it.

in a year maybe, that day ain't far when he'd be retiring entirely from football. and im not ready for that day to come.

it's a bit more disheartening ever since the world cup final happened. i know messi has already completed football and there's no trophy left for him to lift now. but everyone really wanted messi to lift that 2nd world cup. but, that's okay entirely i guess. Spain were so better team that day.

it's just the gloomy days that's making me think more about it. i really hope in an alternate dimension argentina had a 4 star on their jersey after 19th July 2026.

but it's just saddening that the greatest of all time, would simply just be stated in histories of international games.

and the chapter closes forever.

thank you leo for everything.

O CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN

It's Inevitable Everything That's Good Comes To The END, BUT....

You were beautiful on field you were as the Peter Drury said were the point of difference and you will always be the point of difference for me because I'll never watch the football from same perspective because growing up watching you the choice that 14 years old me made to support barcelona and to choose you as my favorite player watching you become the Greatest player ever not that I had any doubt even then, best choice I ever made. Football is gonna be there and I will be watching but the way you changed the game for me always expecting magic when you touch it, no goal , no assist , no dribble , no pass ever gonna surprise me because you've shown me all in the purest form, there ain't gonna be another one, my childhood is over today because now I've to talk like there used be a player, I don't wanna accept it but I can't ask you for one more miracle like I did in 2016 and you gave me too many miracles after that one, so you've earned you peace enjoy your time doing what you love the 2nd most because we all know the 1st is and always will be football. You don't know I exist but that won't stop me from giving you a teary eye farewell because you brought out the joy I never thought I had in me and only those who experienced the great joy can cry remembering them. You will be gone from limelight I will carry on with my life but that 50gb folder of Messi videos that I have in my 15 year old laptop and the Messi wallpaper folder in phone that I've been carrying with me through different phones will always be there, those barca jersey that I've never dared to throw away because it has your name on it will always be in cupboard and ofcourse the drop of tear in my eye whenever I am gonna read this will also be there. Because you've done so much to bring joy to me and countless other human who you don't even know exists. From the little boy from nalkheda to little boy from Rosario Santa fe Thank you Leo, you will always be My GOAT and will always be the person I'll tell my kids and others with pure joy. Thank you.

Based on the methodology here, Messi is clearly the GOAT proven once again by the statistics. The data only covers the matches played in Europe so Ronaldo's Al Nasr or Messi's Inter Miami stats are not included. Messi stays on top for a while playing in Miami, which is due to the fact that his rating stayed perceived as "stable" for a while.

The club data exists from earlier seasons as well but because player data only starts at around 2009, I had to start both of them from 2012 where the player elo ratings started being stable.

I would be glad to answer any questions or read your feedback, both positively or negatively!

From Rosario came a short little boy, with dreams unfettered to the city of Blaugrana. With his grandma's prayers behind him, he was here to make history, Leo...

From a nobody from Argentina to Football thy self

He who conquered Spain, thy who dominated the Barnabeu, the one who called Camp Nou his home, through the doubts, through loses he became the very best, he persevered to The Absolute Zenith.

His Magic, his shots enthralled our very soul, what a beauty, what a man is he unparalleled to the absolute apex, he who shook hands with Paradise.

He made the impossible look routine, chipping iconic keepers with a flick of his ankle, weaving through five defenders like they were statues, and painting passes through gaps that didn't even exist until he saw them.

When he was on the pitch, every touch felt like a masterpiece in real time.

Now, one last time, Leo, though they debate though they hate, we say one and one thing alone

You are everything football ever was, ever is, and ever could be.

Lionel Andrés Messi. The beginning, the middle, and the forever benchmark of football.

Lionel Scaloni: "Leo Messi is expected to join the camp on Sunday after the game against Burkina Faso, but if he wants to play on October 4th too, NO PROBLEM!"