{
  "id": 4682913,
  "title": "Lionel Messi Retirement: Rodrigo De Paul, Himanta Biswa Sarma React To Argentina Exit, Call Messi 'Eternal'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/lionel-messi-retirement-rodrigo-de-paul-himanta-biswa-sarma-react-to",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-31T16:41:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/lionel-messi-retirement-rodrigo-de-paul-himanta-biswa-sarma-reactions"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The retirement of Lionel Messi from the Argentina national team has evoked strong emotional responses. Messi announced his decision via social media, describing the moment as one that had arrived after long contemplation. The 39-year-old stepped away from international football two days after Argentina's 2026 World Cup final defeat to Spain.\n\nRodrigo De Paul, Argentina's midfielder, delivered an emotional tribute to his former teammate. De Paul lauded Messi's leadership, resilience, and love for the country, describing him as \"the greatest of all time.\" He expressed gratitude for the happiness Messi brought to the team and fans, saying, \"You are eternal.\"\n\nHimanta Biswa Sarma, an Indian politician, echoed similar sentiments. He described Messi's career as one that ended an era, thanking him for every bit of magic he brought to the game. Sarma noted the heartbreak felt by fans across the globe, describing Messi as \"GOAT for life.\"\n\nFIFA World Cup also tweeted their appreciation, stating, \"Thank you, Leo.\" The announcement of Messi's retirement marked the end of a remarkable international career that spanned over two decades. Messi made his debut for Argentina in 2005 and became the country's record appearance-maker and leading goalscorer. His contributions were instrumental in Argentina's victories in the 2021 Copa America, 2022 World Cup, and 2024 Copa America.",
  "summary": "Lionel Messi's retirement from the Argentina national team has led to emotional reactions from teammates, politicians and football organisations. Messi announced his decision through a social media post on Monday, saying that he had thought about it for a long time and felt that the moment had arrived to step away from the national team. The 39-year-old had written the message two days after…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Press Journal",
        "title": "What Will Lionel Messi Do After Argentina Retirement? Inter Miami, Club Ownership And More",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/what-will-lionel-messi-do-after-argentina-retirement-inter-miami-club",
        "published": "2026-08-31T16:56:55.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}