Cristiano Ronaldo posts message of support after Lionel Messi’s Argentina farewell

Cristiano Ronaldo posted a social media message expressing support for Lionel Messi after Messi’s final Argentina appearance, a friendly against Benin on October 6, 2026. Ronaldo commented on an Instagram post by Messi recounting the match and included a direct message of respect.

Lionel Messi ended his Argentina career following the friendly versus Benin on October 6, 2026, finishing with 208 appearances and 126 goals for his country. The 39-year-old Inter Miami forward scored one goal and provided two assists in that final international match, retiring as Argentina’s all-time leading goalscorer. Messi led Argentina to the FIFA World Cup 2022 title and to the 2026 World Cup final, where Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain, and he announced his international retirement after the death of his father, Jorge; the Benin friendly had been arranged as his farewell match.

The long-standing rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo has been a prominent feature of world football for the past two decades, and Ronaldo used social media to acknowledge Messi’s international swansong. Commenting on Messi’s Instagram post, Ronaldo wrote: “Leo, so many years defending your country and a history that will last forever,” and added, “All my respect for what you have achieved with Argentina. A hug.”

Ronaldo’s own international situation is unresolved. The 41-year-old Al-Nassr forward was involved in a tussle with Portugal national team head coach Jorge Jesus, a dispute that resulted in Ronaldo leaving the national team camp.

Whether Ronaldo plays another match in a Portugal shirt remains to be seen, with neither the player nor the head coach looking likely to reach a compromise.