A powerful message from Cristiano Ronaldo to his great rival Lionel Messi blew up social media after the Argentine's official retirement from the national team. The Portuguese superstar joined directly in the comments under the ten's farewell post on Instagram, showing immense respect for the rival with whom they rewrote the history of the game in the last decade and a half.
„Leo, so many years defending your country and a story that will remain forever. All my respect for what you achieved with Argentina. A hug“, wrote Cristiano, causing a wave of positive reactions among football fans all over the planet.
The Portuguese's gesture once again showed that despite the long-standing titanic rivalry at club and international level, there has always been genuine respect between the two.
Messi's career for his homeland practically ended after the 2026 World Cup final, where the gauchos lost minimally 0:1 to Spain, but the captain officially said goodbye to the supporters in a special benefit match against Benin, which ended with a classic 3:0 success.
🚨 Cristiano Ronaldo REPLIES to Leo Messi. https://t.co/Vud1TRypc0
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) October 7, 2026