‘No one else like him’: Argentinians rally for Lionel Messi

Buenos Aires, Argentina – In the La Boca neighbourhood, location to the Boca Juniors stadium and a spot which lives and breathes football, radical are taking turns to beryllium photographed successful beforehand of immense murals depicting shot fable Lionel Messi holding the 2022 World Cup.

Across the city, monuments person been illuminated successful Argentina’s bluish and achromatic successful honour of the nationalist hero, who has announced his retirement from planetary football aft 2 decades during which helium was transformed from young prodigy to nationalist icon.

On Monday, shot clubs astir the state were singing songs for Messi and mounting banners showing him holding the World Cup helium helped to triumph for his country. The Argentine Football Association is readying a farewell lucifer to convey him for his bonzer service.

Messi announced his departure from the nationalist squad this week connected societal media with a handwritten missive that helium says helium wrote 2 days aft losing the World Cup last against Spain this year. He said helium had “nothing other to give”.

“It was a determination that wounded – and inactive hurts heavy down – but I recognize that the clip has come,” helium wrote connected Instagram connected Monday.

While the quality has not travel arsenic a full astonishment – Messi is 39 years aged and has precocious mislaid his father, Jorge Messi, who played a important relation successful his vocation – fans are nevertheless devastated.

“We are going to proceed loving Messi, not conscionable for shot but for his humility, for who helium is; that’s the astir important happening astir Messi,” instrumentality Sebastian Luna tells Al Jazeera. “It’s football; it’s over, but Messi volition ever beryllium successful our hearts”.

Some are calling for his fig 10 jersey to beryllium retired on with him. Alas, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) rules won’t let it – the squad has already tried.

‘Like a bucket of acold water’

Messi played six World Cups for Argentina, and for years, helium struggled with changeless disapproval for failing to triumph one.

The ⁠former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward, who present plays ⁠for Inter Miami, has been repeatedly compared unfavourably with the shot fable Diego Maradona – who besides helped Argentina triumph 1 World Cup successful 1986. But that each changed erstwhile Argentina won successful Qatar, propelling Messi to the presumption of nationalist awesome for each Argentinians crossed governmental and societal divides. Now, they person 2 heroes to celebrate.

“I saw Maradona; I saw galore players – Kempes – but Messi is superlative,” says instrumentality Carlos Sciata successful Buenos Aires. His status is “like a bucket of acold water, but well, it was thing that could happen, particularly aft his father’s death. But we are going to miss him a lot. There is nary 1 other similar him,” helium adds.

The record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner became his country’s grounds quality shaper and scorer, with 125 goals successful 207 games, ⁠having transformed a analyzable narration with the nationalist squad into a communicative of redemption and triumph.

Tributes person poured successful since his announcement connected Monday.

Angel Di Maria, who played alongside Messi successful their FIFA 2022 World Cup triumph successful Qatar, said it was “so hard” to cognize fans volition not beryllium capable to spot the talismanic guardant successful the entity bluish and achromatic colours of Argentina immoderate more.

“I lone cognize that I was calved successful the close period to beryllium capable to spot you, bask you, and connected apical of that, to stock each these years with you connected the nationalist team,” Di Maria declared.

Rodrigo De Paul, Messi’s Argentinian teammate astatine his Major League Soccer nine Inter Miami, applauded the grounds eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s “unconditional love” for the country.

“Just convey you, the top of each time, convey you for making america so, truthful happy, you can’t ideate however galore smiles you brought!!” helium added.

“You are eternal.”

A drone presumption shows 1 of the elephantine murals of Argentinian shot fable Lionel Messi, connected the time helium announced his status from the nationalist team, astatine the Villa del Parque bid station, successful Buenos Aires, Argentina, August 31, 2026 [Agustin Marcarian/Reuters]

Enormous void

Despite hoping for a last triumph astatine the World Cup this year, Argentina mislaid 1-0 to Spain successful the final.

Now, Argentina is preparing for what comes next.

Messi’s departure leaves an tremendous void for shot fans, and questions are being raised astir the aboriginal of manager Lionel Scaloni and the squad helium built astir the prima player.

Off the pitch, Argentinian shot is facing problems of its own, with the Argentine Football Association (AFA) under investigation amid superior allegations of corruption and fiscal irregularities.

But for today, it is each astir saying goodbye astatine the extremity of an era. Messi represents a corporate root of happiness successful a state that has endured economical and governmental upheaval.

The 1 antheral who makes each Argentinians arrogant summed it up successful his farewell connection connected Monday: “I permission with the ‌peace ‌of caput and pridefulness of having fixed you – alongside my teammates – moments we erstwhile lone dreamed of,” helium wrote.