{
  "id": 4828374,
  "title": "Retirement: ‘I’m truly sad’ – Hansi Flick reacts as Messi leaves international football",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/retirement-im-truly-sad-hansi-flick-reacts-as-messi-leaves",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-01T09:02:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Post Nigeria",
    "slug": "daily-post-nigeria",
    "url": "https://dailypost.ng/2026/09/01/retirement-im-truly-sad-hansi-flick-reacts-as-messi-leaves-international-football/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has voiced his disappointment over Lionel Messi's decision to retire from international football. The German coach hailed the 39-year-old Argentine as the world's premier player, praising his performance during the FIFA World Cup. In an interview with DAZN, Flick expressed that Messi is the best player in the world, stating, \"Time flies. That's how it is, and of course, he's the best player in the world, so it's unbelievable. I also greatly enjoyed his performance in the World Cup. He was fantastic.\"\n\nFlick acknowledged that it was unfortunate, but ultimately inevitable, given Messi's storied career. Messi had hinted at retirement following the FIFA World Cup, but officially announced his decision on August 31 via an emotional Instagram post. The national team captain, who led Argentina to two Copa America titles and a FIFA World Cup victory, revealed his retirement was decided days after Argentina's loss to Spain in the 2026 final. Initially planning to announce his retirement in July, Messi postponed the news due to his father's passing. Throughout his two-decade international career, Messi earned 207 caps and scored 125 goals.",
  "summary": "Barcelona manager, Hansi Flick has expressed his sadness over Lionel Messi’s retirement from international football. The German coach praised the 39-year-old as the world’s best player, noting that the Argentine icon reaffirmed this status at the recently concluded FIFA World Cup. In an interview with DAZN on Monday, Flick said he enjoyed watching Lionel Messi during […] Retirement: ‘I’m truly…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Business Recorder",
        "title": "Messi says retiring from international football",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/messi-says-retiring-from-international-football",
        "published": "2026-08-31T23:49:54.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Times",
        "title": "Messi says retiring from international football",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/messi-says-retiring-from-international-football",
        "published": "2026-09-01T04:14:31.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}