Real Madrid coach José Mourinho has praised Lionel Messi as one of the best players of his time after the Argentine retired from international football.
"There are no words to describe his quality as a player," Mourinho said on Thursday during a news conference.
"With what he did at the World Cup, at 39 years old… He’s a player we’ll miss. We’ll have to watch some MLS games to enjoy his last years; I don’t know if it will be a season or seasons.
"He’s one of those players who, as I said the other day, you always miss. This player, for our generation, over these last two decades, we all know what he represents," he added.
Messi, 39, announced his retirement from the Argentina national team on August 31. This ended a 21-year international career.
This decision came seven weeks after Argentina lost 1, 0 to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. Messi was the captain of the team that could not keep the title they won in 2022.
Messi led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and also won the Copa América in 2021 and 2024. He finished his international career as Argentina’s top player with 207 caps and 125 goals.
The 2026 tournament was Messi’s sixth World Cup. He made his Argentina debut in 2005.
Even though he has retired from international football, Messi continues to play.
He is with Major League Soccer team Inter Miami. Mourinho joked that he will have to watch MLS matches to enjoy the last years of Messi’s club career.
The Argentine Football Association has announced that domestic matches this weekend will pause in the 10th minute. They will hold a minute of applause for Messi, a tribute to his famous No. 10 shirt.
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