‘It hurts to see Messi in tears’: What Ronaldo said when Argentina star first retired
This article recounts Cristiano Ronaldo's supportive reaction to Lionel Messi's temporary international retirement in 2016. It highlights the mutual respect between the two rivals and Messi's eventual return to lead Argentina to multiple major tournament victories.
Why it matters
It provides a humanizing look at the professional relationship between two of the most influential athletes in modern sports history.
When Lionel Messi announced his international retirement for the first time in 2016, the football world was stunned. He was only 29, Argentina had just suffered another heartbreaking defeat and Messi had missed a penalty in the Copa America final against Chile.Among those to react was Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi’s long-time rival. Rather than criticising the decision, Ronaldo urged fans to understand what his fellow superstar was going through.“Messi has taken a tough decision, and people should understand,” Ronaldo told Mundo Deportivo at the time.Ronaldo believed the repeated defeats had taken an emotional toll on Messi, who had suffered another major setback with Argentina after losing the 2014 FIFA World Cup final to Germany and the 2015 Copa America final to Chile.“He is not accustomed to defeats and disappointments, not even finishing second.
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