Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez published an emotional tribute to Lionel Messi on Sunday after Messi announced his retirement from international football.
Messi, 39, confirmed his decision on August 31 in Buenos Aires, ending a career that spanned 203 caps and 124 goals for Argentina. The announcement came just over a month after Argentina lost the 2026 FIFA World Cup final 1-0 to Spain, and weeks after the death of his father Jorge Messi on August 8 in Rosario.
Fernandez, 25, shared his message on Instagram hours after the announcement. The Chelsea midfielder recalled being a child in 2016 when Messi briefly retired after the Copa America final loss to Chile. Fernandez said he used to calculate the age gap between them to see if he would ever have a chance to share the pitch in an Argentina shirt.
He wrote that life turned out to be more beautiful than he imagined, as the two shared training camps, dressing rooms and conversations and won the 2022 World Cup together in Qatar.