{
  "id": 12820212,
  "title": "Ronaldo hails Messi after Argentina great says he already misses national team",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/ronaldo-hails-messi-after-argentina-great-says-he-already-misses-12820212",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-08T08:04:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Recorder",
    "slug": "business-recorder",
    "url": "https://www.brecorder.com/news/40443264/ronaldo-hails-messi-after-argentina-great-says-he-already-misses-national-team"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo paid tribute to Lionel Messi on Wednesday, expressing his admiration for the Argentine after Messi announced his decision to retire from international soccer. Messi, 39, delivered an emotional farewell performance in Argentina’s blue and white, scoring once and setting up two goals in a 3-0 friendly victory over Benin in front of over 85,000 fans at Buenos Aires’ Monumental Stadium. In a lengthy Instagram post, Messi confessed he already missed wearing the team jersey, acknowledging it had been an incredible journey filled with joy and sadness. He honored Diego Maradona, whose leadership helped elevate the nation, and expressed gratitude to the clubs that respected his decision to dedicate himself to Argentina when called upon. Messi, who captained Argentina to World Cup and Copa America titles, thanked fans for their support throughout his storied career, spanning 21 years. Ronaldo, a fellow contender for the title of world's greatest player, responded warmly to Messi’s post, expressing respect for his accomplishments with Argentina. Meanwhile, Ronaldo finds himself embroiled in a dispute with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus over his sudden removal from the national team's training camp.",
  "summary": "Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo set aside one of soccer’s great rivalries on Wednesday to pay tribute to Lionel Messi after the Argentine said he already missed representing his country following his emotional international retirement. Messi, 39, delivered one final masterclass in Argentina’s blue and white on Tuesday, scoring once and setting up two goals in a 3-0 friendly win over Benin…",
  "key_points": [
    "Ronaldo praises Messi after Argentine announces retirement.",
    "Messi scored and set up goals in 3-0 friendly win over Benin.",
    "Ronaldo admires Messi's accomplishments with Argentina."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}