Messi's Farewell Draws a Ronaldo Comment and a Benin Coach's Signed Shirt
Lionel Messi played his final match for Argentina on Tuesday night in Buenos Aires, and the football world responded the way it tends to when the sport’s most decorated player steps away from a national team. Argentina beat Benin 3-0 at the Estadio Monumental, and afterwards the 39-year-old posted a message on social media describing his international career as an incredible journey and thanking teammates, coaches and staff.
The most notable reply came from Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese forward, who spent nearly two decades as Messi’s rival for the game’s biggest prizes, liked the post and left a comment telling Messi that what he left behind will be remembered forever, ending with a hug. It was the first time in roughly three months that Ronaldo had commented on one of Messi’s posts; the last occasion was a message of condolence after Messi’s father died.
Benin’s head coach, Gernot Rohr, offered a more personal souvenir from the evening. The German, who played for Bayern Munich and Bordeaux and later coached a Bordeaux side featuring a young Zinedine Zidane to a UEFA Cup final, said none of his players managed to swap shirts with Argentina’s squad. He did come away with something else. Rohr told reporters he had obtained Messi’s autograph, and he described the match at the Monumental as an extraordinary experience for a young Benin team, adding that his players were happy simply to be part of a piece of history.
The farewell dominated football coverage in China, where Messi retains an enormous following and where his 2023 move to Inter Miami turned him into a fixture of the local sports conversation. Chinese outlets led their morning bulletins with the Ronaldo exchange, framing it as the closing note of a rivalry that defined a generation of the sport.
Elsewhere in Europe, the international window produced its usual mix of fitness worries and transfer chatter. Kylian Mbappe returned to training with Real Madrid after withdrawing from the France squad in late September with a knee problem, though his condition was still being monitored. Alejandro Balde’s limited minutes at Barcelona have drawn interest from Arsenal, with the January window approaching.
Aurelien Tchouameni, the French midfielder, was asked about the Ballon d’Or and offered a diplomatic answer with a national twist, naming Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise as worthy candidates and joking that the award should come back to France.
Not every story revolved around stars. Utrecht signed 15-year-old defender Matthew Swieb to his first professional contract, running to mid-2029, with technical director Jeffrey Kuijstra calling him a versatile and physically gifted player who might eventually move into midfield. David Silva, meanwhile, cleared up a story that had travelled further than he expected, confirming he will play a single match for Hong Kong side Sha Tin on November 7 rather than joining for a full season.
For all the club news, the night belonged to Messi. Argentina’s captain walked off in Buenos Aires with 207 caps and 125 international goals, and with a rival’s tribute attached to his final post.