No more Messi nights for Argentina as skipper says adios to national squad

The news of Argentine football icon Lionel Messi retiring from the national team has caused a global ripple effect. Upon hearing the 39-year-old's announcement, teammates and footballing organizations swiftly offered farewell tributes. The revelation made waves across some of the world's most prominent media platforms.

In Spain, Messi's long-time residence and career, Madrid-based publication Marca chose to feature him on its cover, remarking that the Argentine star's departure leaves "an empty space that's impossible to fill" in football. Similarly, Barcelona-based newspapers Mundo Deportivo and Sport prioritized the breaking story at the top of their covers.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom's Daily Telegraph was the only outlet on the island to dedicate a full block on its cover to Messi's retirement, offering a glimmer of hope after a tense encounter between England and Argentina in the upcoming 2026 World Cup. The paper's headline read, "Forget the ugly ending, Messi redefined football."

Contrarily, The Sun took a mocking approach to Messi's retirement in its online version, revisiting the instance when the star initially announced his retirement from the national team in 2016 after Argentina's loss in the second Copa America final. The Argentine player had subsequently recanted his decision.

Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera likened Messi's farewell to tennis legend Novak Djokovic's exit from the 2026 US Open, noting that both athletes, widely regarded as the greatest of their respective sports, reached a pivotal point in their careers at the age of 39. Other relevant newspapers in Tuesday's cover pages included La Gazzetta dello Sport, La Repubblica, L’Equipe from France, and several from Latin America such as El Universo and El Mercurio from Ecuador and Chile.

In the United States, the Miami Herald decided to cover Messi's retirement from the national team on its front page, recognizing the Argentine star as the biggest name in Miami's leading football team, Inter Miami. The headline in Spanish read, "La entrada Messi's retirement from Argentina makes headlines worldwide."