i know i’m late to writing this. i wanted to write it yesterday but i needed a little time to process it. i’ve always hated goodbyes esp with players who’ve been part of my life. if it were up to me, nothing i love would ever end. i started watching football in 2014 without knowing how much i’d fall in love with it. i didn’t think i’d care that much, then there was messi, barça, argentina and i was gone. i remember the 2014 final and how painful it was seeing you lose something you wanted so badly. then in 2022, i got to see you finally win it. i’ll never forget how happy i was for you. you finally got the moment you deserved. i know i didn’t watch every year of your prime and there are moments i wish i could go back and see but i don’t need to have watched every second to know what you mean to me. there’ll never be another player who gives me that feeling. you weren’t just someone i watched play football, you were one of the reasons i fell in love with it. i grew up watching you and now i’m crying over edits, realizing i’ve watched the end of your argentina career. i knew this day would come but that doesn’t make it any easier. no more seeing your name in an argentina lineup, no more waiting to see what only messi can do. i really hate that it’s over. thank you for everything, lionel. for the goals, the memories and all the impossible things you made look normal. i hate that people tried to take that away from you, saying there had to be some explanation for why you were that good instead of just appreciating that they were lucky enough to witness it. none of that changes what you gave football or us. i’ll always remember the player i first watched in 2014 and somehow ended up caring about this much and maybe when the club retirement comes, i’ll be crying again, asking if we can delay it for another 15 years but that’s a problem for another day. for now, thank you. i don’t think i’ll ever be ready to say goodbye but i guess that's what this is.