Neymar's Heartfelt Tribute to Messi Ahead of His Farewell Match
Neymar Expresses Gratitude to Messi
On October 7, in Brasilia, Brazilian football star Neymar Jr shared a touching message for Argentine legend Lionel Messi as he prepares for his last international appearance. Messi, who declared his retirement from international football on September 1, is set to don his national colors one final time against Benin on Tuesday.
In an Instagram post, Neymar, who concluded his international career after the FIFA World Cup 2026 and played alongside Messi at both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), expressed that anyone who appreciates football has enjoyed watching Messi over the years. He conveyed his wishes for Messi to savor every moment of his farewell match.
Neymar wrote, "Anyone who loves football has enjoyed you throughout all these years... Today is your final game wearing the shirt of your national team, your country, and I hope you enjoy every second of it and that all the tributes today make you happy."
He acknowledged Messi's contributions to the sport, stating that the world is grateful for everything he has done, adding, "Thank you for making me love football even more. It was an honor to have played against you, and even more so to have made history alongside you."
Messi's announcement of his retirement came just over a month after Argentina's defeat to Spain in the World Cup final and shortly after the passing of his father, Jorge Messi, who died on August 8 at the age of 68.
As Argentina's most-capped player and top goal scorer, Messi boasts 203 appearances and 124 goals, making him the highest goal-scorer in South American football history.
In 2022, after enduring several disappointments, including the 2014 World Cup final loss to Germany, Messi finally achieved World Cup success, leading Argentina to victory over France, powered by Kylian Mbappe, marking the nation's first title in 36 years.
Previously, Messi played a crucial role in ending Argentina's 28-year title drought by winning the Copa America in 2021 and successfully defending the title in the 2024 edition following World Cup glory.
Although he had announced his retirement from international play in 2016 after a Copa America final loss to Chile, he returned to lead Argentina to World Cup victory six years later in Qatar.
Messi has participated in six FIFA World Cups from 2006 to 2026, scoring 21 goals in 34 matches, making him the second-highest goal-scorer in the tournament's history, just behind Mbappe, who holds the record with 22 goals.
During this year's World Cup, Messi scored eight goals and provided four assists, solidifying his status as one of the tournament's standout players, including achieving his first FIFA World Cup hat-trick against Algeria. He surpassed Germany's Miroslav Klose's record for the most World Cup goals before Mbappe took the lead.
Currently, Messi continues to play for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS).