BENGALURU: As a sports journalist, you never wish for some sentences to actually be written. One of those sentences will finally have to be written. Lionel Messi has announced his international retirement.
The greatest footballer of the 21st century—perhaps of all time—will no longer wear the famous Argentina jersey, a jersey he wore with pride for over 20 years. There will be no Messi, L on team sheets in the next Argentina game. There will be no Messi, L in the next Copa America. There will be no Messi, L at the next World Cup, a World Cup Argentina will be one of the co-hosts of. In an emotional post across his socials, the 39-year-old wrote: “It was a decision that hurt— and still hurts deep down—but I understand that the time has come.”
Of course this day was bound to come. No athlete has ever managed to defy the laws of Father Time. But this one will hurt everybody whose lives he touched. Football will continue to be played by millions and watched by billions.
The World Cup will go on without Messi, L. Argentina may find another superstar within the next 20 years (they found Messi 20 years after Diego Maradona). But for people of a certain age, Leo will always be numero uno.