jup

dieginhorebel@dieginhorebel

Chicago Fire3 - 1Vancouver Whitecaps

There are nights in football when time simply stands still, when the noise of the world fades and all that remains is the weight of a single moment. As a little kid, I remember sitting in my room glued to the TV screen. I may have not witnessed his prime, but I was still watching a slender number 10 from Rosario do things with a ball that felt genuinely impossible, routinely rewriting the laws of physics as if the pitch were his private canvas. Tonight, that circle closes forever, and with the final whistle, a cherished piece of my own childhood fades into history. Lionel Messi put on the Albiceleste shirt for the very last time. Decades of magic, crushing heartbreak, relentless resilience, and that glorious, tear-filled redemption in Qatar have all led us to this single, heavy farewell. Anyone who walked this long journey with him, who felt the silent agony of every lost final, the harsh criticism of a nation, and then the absolute ecstasy of ultimate immortality, feels a deep, bittersweet ache in their chest tonight. We didn't just watch a career unfold; we grew up alongside it. Messi was never just a footballer. He was quiet comfort on bad days, pure inspiration every time I laced up my boots, and an irreplaceable reminder of why we fell in love with this game in the first place. He gave an entire generation permission to dream without limits. As he slowly walked off the pitch tonight, the tears weren't just flowing in Buenos Aires, they were flowing across every corner of the world. Thank you for the childhood memories, the magic, and every single miracle, Leo. Football will never, ever be the same again.

Lionel, When I was 5, I was still being introduced to the sport of football by my father and grandfather. One day, I see my father watching a match during the 2014 World Cup between Argentina and Nigeria. I remember vividly seeing you score one of the best free-kicks I have ever seen in my life, and on that day, I became obsessed with your football. My father, who is a lifelong FC Barcelona fan, raised me to support them. But to be honest, if you had not been playing for Barcelona at the time, I don’t know if I would have supported them at the time. Your style of football and the way you change everything that surrounds you when you’re on the ball had me starstruck during every game. In 2016, I got to watch you play with my very own eyes in the Camp Nou, and it’s safe to say it was one of the greatest days of my life. Watching you play in real life showed me that there will never be a footballer like you ever in history. In 2019, I got to watch you play for Argentina live again, and in that game, you scored the only goal to win Argentina that game. You changed my life in a way you couldn’t imagine. I aspired to be like you, my whole life at one point WAS you. Football is nothing without you. You hold the helm of being the greatest this sport will ever see, and to this, I say thank you. Not just for your football, but because of how you changed my life. Now, watching you say goodbye to Argentina really does hurt. We knew this day would come eventually, but we never wanted it to. I grew up watching you play football alongside some of the greats, but none will ever come close to you. Seeing you win the World Cup in 2022 had me crying tears of joy. You are the greatest player of all time, and you have had one of the greatest international careers of all time. Thank you, Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini.

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

MLS

Marta@japierdole

Lewandowski and Muller reunion finally 🥺🥺🥺 and I'm glad the stadium didn't almost burn down this time

Player of the match

Jonathan Bamba

Chicago Fire

one more for shits and giggles

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

as Lionel Messi’s international career comes to an end, let’s not forget the road he has built and left behind for newer generations to look up to - that legacy he has cemented, marking him of course, the GREATEST OF ALL TIME! GRACIAS MESSI! 🩵🤍🩵🤍 🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

gracias leo ♡🇦🇷 i will forever cherish all the years i got to watch you play for argentina, eternally greatful to have witness the greatest of all time 🐐 argentina will never be the same without you, football will never be the same without you. leo messi forever 10 ♾️🤍

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

Brooklyn1 - 3Rhode Island

it is a pretty strange feeling, watching yourself outgrow the careers and passion of the people you've seen your entire life, who were so revered. i don't really want to pretend like messi has had some big indelible mark on my life; he honestly hasn't, i've only seriously followed this sport after the world cup. but i've constantly grown up seeing his name and image; my brother was a culer during prime MSN era, and even without that i've never heard of football without his name. so i guess it's ridiculous to try to write something when i've personally never lived and breathed the highs of his career, or felt the hope and passion for the future that so many kids across the world and especially in argentina have felt. and if you're reading this, you're probably thinking the same, and i'm thinking the same, and i'm still here writing, and i'm going to regret writing this, probably. still, you can't deny the mark he's left on this sport, or the amount of kids who watched him and felt some sort of pride in doing so, and how messi went into this sport just like them, naive and hopeful, and came out as this superstar who forever changed the modern legacy of the country he worked so hard to represent. how he's really just the embodiment of someone with endless passion who kept working, and fighting, and celebrating and grieving and all that. the game's over now and it still really hasn't hit for me that he's done, at least with the bigger stage of his career. i don't think it'll ever hit, i think that's the thing about someone like messi. you just don't ever expect him to put his shield down. and he couldn't have a glorious finish the way you'd expect him to, but still ended it off with a lifetime of accomplishments. you could see this in the way the other players, the entire stadium, the *world* treated him. the end couldn't be more tragic but he still went out with the world's love on his arm, and i hope he can feel how loved and admired he is, by the whole world.

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

USL Championship

jasmine@jasferreira23

as much as i spite usl, i walked out of my first game with a spanish boyfriend so it wasn’t too bad. highlights were abby getting her favorite players jersey and a drunk fan punching security

MESSI, TE QUIERO MUCHO, MI REY. NI SIQUIERA SOY ARGENTINO Y ME HICISTE UN FAN ENORME DE TU PAÍS. SIEMPRE VOY A APOYAR A ARGENTINA. MALVINAS SON ARGENTINAS! THANK YOU, MESSI. 🇦🇷❤️

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

Genuinely I don’t even know what to say. I don’t want to be corny or anything but damn. I’m in denial and I bet this isn’t even going to hit me until a random night. What makes this match worse is the amount of nostalgia I have been feeling these past few weeks, and knowing how much football takes a part of that. I don’t ever think I got formally introduced to Messi. My first major memory of watching football was during the 2014 wc (I did watch before this dw). I still vividly recall watching his matches and how Argentina “took revenge” for Mexico over the Netherlands. Ofc, I also remember watching him lose that final. During and after that wc, Argentina went to become my “backup national team” behind Mexico until 2022 (when they both played in the group stage). Dont even get me started on when he left Barca, I could literally tell u everything about how that day went. Anyways, I could and would write so much more but I just can’t. Sometimes I’ll talk to my younger cousins and it’ll upset me to know that they never saw the prime versions of so many greats, and how they don’t even know who some of them were. It’s sad to know that some people are never going to experience seeing Messi play for Argentina live. Thank you Messi, for being a part of me and my childhood 🫶

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

Aisha 🌷@caramelchaitea

A decade ago, I randomly decided to watch a football game and somehow landed on an El Clásico. I didn’t know much about football but even little me could recognize the outrageous talent I was watching. I knew I was watching someone special without imagining how much that moment would mean to me. I didn't need trophies to convince me of your worth. I could just see it. Lionel Messi, you are the reason I fell in love with football. You made me fall in love with Barça and made me care about Argentina too. I never thought I’d support a club and national team I have no relation with so passionately but you made both feel like a part of me. Over the years you took us on this incredible journey. I still go back and watch games from your earlier years. I’ve cried watching you give everything and still fall short and smiled through tears when you finally won what you deserved. Every win felt strangely personal, like I was celebrating something I had fought for too. I remember crying when you won in 2022. Who would've thought I could care this much? THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER MESSI. Tonight I’m crying because I can’t imagine football without you but I’m proud too. You conquered it all and gave us memories we’ll never forget. Knowing you get to end your career having achieved everything makes it easier to let go. My father used to tell me stories of watching Maradona. Someday I’ll tell my kids “I WATCHED PRIME MESSI!" I’ll tell them how lucky I was to witness it. I just hope you know what you’ve given us. Every fan who truly understands this sport and every kid wearing your number 10 knows your worth. You gave millions of us joy. You made us believe, cry, laugh, scream and fall in love with this sport. It’s an honor to have lived in the same era as you. Thank you, Leo. It’s painful to let go but it was a privilege watching you. There will never be another you. YOU ARE THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME🐐🩵💙❤️

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

El eterno padre del fútbol.

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

ferminator@flickyflacka

It’s over. 💔🥀 Thank you for everything, Leo. 🩵 For my first love. For my hero. For my idol. For my inspiration. For THE GOAT.🐐 Thank you for giving us a lifetime of memories, emotions, and moments that will live forever. You weren’t just a footballer. You were a part of our lives. Eternally grateful that I was born at the right time to witness your greatness, your magic, and your entire journey. What a privilege it was to watch you play. 🐐 Happy farewell, Leo 🥺❤️

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

unfortunately i legally have to dock half a star because the first half was such bullshit… but overall this was an amazing match, messi is such an incredible player and will truly be missed in international football 💔

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

The first time I watched Lionel Messi play for Barcalona I was in 2014. I was around three or four at my cousins house while my mama and papa were out working. I remember being infatuated with him as a player. Everyone around me knew he was great but it was something I had to see. From than one I kept watching and watching him. Another first for me was watching him lose.. well not exactly first — I had an EMOTIONAL wc 2014 but I wasn’t exactly old enough to fully understand that. I think that 3-0 loss to Juve in the 16/17 showed me his first great loss to me. And obviously this isn’t an international game, but this had me sobbing. It’s like believing something would never break but than it ending up just as fragile as everything else is in life. This changed my feeling towards Messi for little me, it showed me to be happy and proud of him for playing so hard, but also sad for him when it isn’t exactly his time. This is also how I felt watching his 2018 wc loss. (Horrible year for little me with El Tri aswell!!!) Football is the most constant factor in my life. It’s been there for me through every up and down I’ve faced. Football brings my family together, football makes my dad happy, football cooled me down whenever I had fears about my livelihood. The biggest most constant thing in football for me is Lionel Messi. Messi raised what my idea of football was. Messi showed me what talent looked like. Messi showed me that poor Hispanic kids like us can do great things in our lives. He showed me many things that I don’t think most athletes can do. But there’s other constants in my life; family, friends, and sadder stuff obviously. But this lies into Messi as well. My papa is the biggest fanboy I know, i could bet that loves Messi more than 1/3 of this app I bet. Nothing made me happier growing up than watching Barca/Tigres with my family when ever we could. It’s the little things in life; such as sports, that makes people more connected with one another. (1/2)

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

yeah 😂😂😂😂 im fine 😂😂😂 the end of an era 😂😂 😂 this doesn’t feel real 😂😂😂😂 oh wow 😂😂😂😂 the pit in my stomach 😂😂😂😂 why is the screen blurry 😂😂 messi thank you for everything omfg 😭😭🫶🏼🫶🏼🐐🐐

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

Messi smiling acting like he didn’t just rip my heart out and step on it. Take my youth please I don’t even need it. Footy will miss you goat

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

Thank you Messi 🫶🏼🐐

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

Trying to write this review for days has been hard but here we go. When I think of Leo Messi, I see more than just another football player. Because for me, he was never just a football player. He is one of those people who, without ever knowing you, somehow becomes part of your memories, your different phases of life, your family conversations, your victories, your defeats, and even the way you learned to love something. Messi taught me that football is more than just a sport. I saw him turn football into something else. He taught me how to love it, how to feel it. He taught to love the team that right now is the team of my whole heart, Barça. I saw him do things that looked impossible. I watched him lose, win, fall, get back up, and chase that World Cup that for so many years seemed impossible. But what a surprise life had waiting for him. Watching him lift that World Cup was more than just watching Messi win a trophy. It was seeing that little boy from Argentina, who had dreamed of playing for his country since he was young, finally give Argentina that third star after more than ten years of trying. And on a personal level, it felt like watching a family member finally achieve something they had been chasing for years. That’s why it hurts. Because it’s not only about watching him realize that it’s time to say goodbye. It’s about realizing that we’re growing up too. It hurts because we know that phases end. It hurts because eventually there will be a last game, a last time seeing him wear that shirt. But I also feel deeply thankful. Thankful for making me love this sport. Thankful for making me live through moments that I will always carry in my heart. Thankful for teaching me that losing doesn’t mean the story is over. Thankful for being there through so many different stages of my life without ever knowing how much he meant to me. + more in comments.

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

Adios La Pulga

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

FUCK BRO I THOUGHT I WAS READY 💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

The little boy from Rosario... 🇦🇷💔 Džeko and Messi retiring just before my 18th birthday. I'm taking this personally.

Player of the match

Lionel Messi

Argentina

ahh Mikel Merino, GRACIAS ! VAMOS ESPAÑA 🇪🇸 🇪🇸

Player of the match

Mikel Merino

Spain

Nations League

Croatia1 - 2Spain

Aisha 🌷@caramelchaitea

well at least the international break is over!!!! CLUB FOOTBALL THIS WEEKEND WHO CHEERED

Player of the match

Mikel Merino

Spain

being croatian today did not pay off.

Player of the match

Mikel Merino

Spain

Merino off the bench is something else man wtf

Player of the match

Mikel Merino

Spain

Watching the Spanish Men’s National Team is like watching a kids show; you know everything will turn out fine and happy, but you have to deal with nonsense along the way.

Player of the match

Mikel Merino

Spain

spain goalless for first half but merino locks in and saves spain. #healing also forgot to add but lowkey you cannot pay me to watch this match again. also messi’s last arg game soon 💔

Player of the match

Mikel Merino

Spain

ESPAÑAAAA🗣️🗣️🗣️🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸

Player of the match

Mikel Merino

Spain

merino you can have my kids, my soul, take everything ❤️

Player of the match

Mikel Merino

Spain

Nations League

Croatia1 - 2Spain

1d ago

missed perisic goal but was wide eyed and attentive for merino brace

Player of the match

Dani Olmo

Spain

for once i had faith in croatia and this is what i get

Player of the match

Mikel Merino

Spain

those last 10 minutes. my son olise f**king (fucking) healed me. also chat was horny as FUCK asf

Player of the match

Michael Olise

France

HAVE I EVER CRITICISED ZINEDINE ZIDANE ON THE PITCH

Player of the match

Désiré Doué

France

Nations League

France4 - 1Belgium