Cristiano Ronaldo’s message to Lionel Messi after the Argentine ended his international career has triggered another round of debate between supporters of football’s two defining stars.
Ronaldo was among the biggest names to comment on Messi’s Instagram farewell post, writing in Spanish:
«Leo, so many years defending your country and a story that will be remembered forever. All my respect for what you have achieved with Argentina. A hug.»
The comment quickly became a discussion of its own, attracting millions of likes and thousands of replies. Many fans focused less on Messi’s retirement itself and more on seeing Ronaldo publicly praise the player who spent much of his career as his biggest rival.
«The two GOATs,» one user wrote, adding Argentina and Portugal flags and a goat emoji.
One user referred to Ronaldo’s message as «the respect of legends of the game,» while several replies simply filled the thread with goat, heart, and applause emojis.
One supporter summed up the mood by writing that fans had been «fortunate to live through and witness the era of Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi», calling the pair «two legends who forever marked football history».
Praise, GOAT emojis and some scepticism
Ronaldo’s comment also reignited the familiar debate over which player should be considered the greatest of all time.
Some fans interpreted Ronaldo’s message as evidence that the rivalry between their supporters has always been more intense than the relationship between the players themselves.
Not every response was positive. One lengthy reply accused Ronaldo of using Messi’s farewell to attract attention and questioned whether his public praise was consistent with previous remarks about the Argentine.
You’re just trying to get attention and stay relevant! If you really respected Messi… you wouldn’t be so openly friendly and then betray him. Have you forgotten what you and your family have done to Messi? How many times have you personally smeared Messi’s «Factos»?
Last game and teammates’ reactions
Messi’s final appearance for Argentina came on October 6 in a farewell friendly against Benin at the Monumental in Buenos Aires. The 39-year-old signed off with a goal from the penalty spot and two assists as Argentina won 3-0 in front of more than 85,000 supporters. It was his 208th international appearance and took his record tally to 126 goals, closing a 21-year national team career that included the 2022 World Cup and Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.
Messi’s post also drew messages from several major figures in football. Former Brazil and Real Madrid midfielder Kaka thanked him for the years of entertainment he provided with Argentina.
Long-time teammate Angel Di Maria responded with a heart, while Emiliano Martinez, Julian Alvarez and Nicolas Otamendi also left short emotional reactions. Otamendi accompanied his message with a goat emoji.
Other fellow Argentina players, including Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Tagliafico and Nico Paz, joined the tributes, largely keeping their messages to hearts, Argentina colours and emojis.
