The lesson Cristiano Ronaldo can still learn from Lionel Messi’s heroic goodbye

Saying goodbye is never easy. Within a sporting context, the hardest farewells often come when it’s time for players to retire, but such decisions are often more complex than you’d imagine – fraught with ego and identity dilemmas for athletes who have been consumed by their sport for so long. But regardless of how hard it is to let go, there tends to be a right and a wrong way of going about it. Take Lionel Messi for example. Following defeat in this summer’s World Cup final, the Argentine captain penned a handwritten letter explaining his decision to step down from the national team. In it, the 39-year-old said the decision hurt his “soul” but thanked teammates, coaches and family for joining him on the ride.