Messi’s farewell, Ronaldo’s absence. Will the football legends get a well-deserved send-off?

For years now, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been the two names around which the biggest conversations in international football have revolved. Their goals decided matches, their presence changed the mood of tournaments and for millions of fans it meant watching Argentina or Portugal. Now both have played their last matches for their countries. But the way their international careers ended tells two very different stories.

Messi got his moment at the Monumental in Buenos Airesin front of a crowd that chased him through criticism, disappointment, and ultimately triumph. Ronaldo’s Portugal career ended with a video announcement after a public disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus.

Their departures raise a question that goes beyond two celebrated careers. Does football know how to give its greatest international servants the send-off they deserve?

FAREWELL IN BLUE

The Monumental was always going to be an emotional setting for Messi’s final appearance for Argentina. Around 85,000 supporters turned up to see their captain for the last time and the team gave them a fitting result. Argentina beat Benin 3-0, with Messi scoring and adding two assists.

The opposition may not have offered the sternest test to say goodbye to that position. A match against a top international side would perhaps bring a more competitive opportunity. But the significance of the evening was never about the quality of the opposition. It was about realizing what Messi meant to Argentina. Messi got the chance to say goodbye to Argentina fans on his international farewell. (Photo: Reuters)

The relationship was not always so comfortable. For most of his international career, Messi has been judged against Diego Maradona and the burden of Argentine football history. Defeats in successive major finals only intensified the criticism. There was even a moment when he announced his retirement from international football before returning to lead the national team again.

The 2022 World Cup changed the terms of this relationship. Messi finally delivered the trophy Argentina had waited 36 years to win, easing the criticism that has dogged him for most of his career.

Argentina’s subsequent World Cup final defeat to Spain brought a different kind of disappointment. Losing 1-0 after extra time when Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal was tough enough. Scenes after the final whistle made matters worse, members of the Argentine contingent were involved in confrontations with their Spanish counterparts. Did the World Cup final spoil Messi’s grand finale? (Photo: Reuters)

Argentina had every right to be frustrated, but Spain earned the right to celebrate. Post-match incidents diverted attention away from the champions and left a bad impression on Argentina’s campaign. FIFA subsequently imposed disciplinary sanctions. Leandro Paredes was suspended for 10 matches, Nahuel Molina was suspended for seven matches, Thiago Almada and assistant coach Roberto Ayala were also punished.

It was a disappointing end to the campaign. Messi’s own achievements should not be judged by the behavior of others, but controversy remains part of Argentina’s recent history. However, his farewell in Buenos Aires was an opportunity to recognize his own path and the place he now occupies in the country’s football history.

RONALDO’S COMPLEX EXIT

Ronaldo’s departure from Portugal was a very different story. Debate over his place in the starting XI has been building since the 2022 World Cup, when Portugal began to rely more on a younger generation of attacking players. Questions about the balance of the team and Ronaldo’s role in it were inevitable.

His position in Portuguese football has never been questioned. However, his place in the team was a separate matter. At this stage in his career, selection could no longer be based on reputation alone. Ronaldo’s illustrious Portugal career ended on a not so illustrious end. (Photo: Reuters)

Disagreement with Jesus opened up this tension during the September international break. Ronaldo was an unused substitute in Portugal’s 2-1 win over Norway. He later claimed that the original agreement was that he should have been rested for the away games against Norway and Denmark. According to Ronaldo, that understanding changed when Jesus indicated he would play around 30 minutes against Norway. He warmed up from half-time but was never introduced.

Ronaldo was unhappy with the coach’s public explanation as he believed it did not reflect their private conversation. The situation escalated when he left Portugal’s training camp in Copenhagen ahead of the match against Denmark. Ronaldo has fallen out with new Portugal coach Jorge Jesus. (Photo: Reuters)

He later apologized to his teammates and fans, admitting that leaving was a mistake. The Portuguese Football Federation also imposed a suspension and fine.

Ronaldo has now resolved the question of his future himself. In a video posted on social media, he announced his immediate retirement from international football, ending a 23-year career in Portugal.

His last appearance came in a 1-0 win over Wales in September. There is no farewell or final tournament with the national team in November. The announcement closes a chapter that began in August 2003 when the teenager made his debut in Portugal.

Ronaldo leaves with 146 goals in 234 games, making him the top scorer in men’s international football. He captained Portugal to their first European title in 2016 and helped them win the Nations League in 2019 and 2025. He also became the first player to score in six different World Cups.

The manner of his departure is debatable, but that does not change what he has achieved for Portugal.

WHO SHOULD DECIDE WHEN IT ENDS?

For a player of Ronaldo’s stature, being left out of the starting XI will never be a routine selection decision. When someone’s first name is on the team sheet for so long, it can be difficult to accept a reduced role. It’s just as difficult for a coach to make the call and explain it to a dressing room that is used to seeing its biggest star lead the side.

But international football cannot stand still. Portugal have players who need opportunities, just as Argentina will eventually have to field a team without Messi. A coach must judge what the team needs now, not what a player has done in the last 15 or 20 years. Messi said goodbye to his Argentine career in his own way. (Photo: Reuters)

Ronaldo had the right to want to be clear about his role, while Jesus had every right to make his own selection decisions. The problem was that the disagreement over playing time became a public shortcoming and turned a team problem into an avoidable distraction. Did Ronaldo spoil Portugal’s farewell? (Photo: Reuters)

Not an easy way to have this conversation with a player who has served the country for over two decades. But the coach does not owe a great player an automatic place in the team. He owes him honesty and clarity about where he stands.

MORE THAN NUMBERS

The final years of a great career often attract more attention than the achievements that preceded them. Every omission becomes a topic, every substitution raises questions and performances are measured against the standards set at the player’s peak.

Messi experienced this during his difficult years in Argentina. Ronaldo has faced similar questions since the 2022 World Cup. Neither has been criticized, but their international careers cannot be reduced to arguments surrounding their final seasons.

Messi endured years of disappointment before leading Argentina to the World Cup. Ronaldo became the face of Portugal becoming a major force in European football and eventually captained it to its first major international title. Their influence was felt far beyond the teams they represented, with millions of supporters following their countries for the possibility that any one of them could create something extraordinary.

That’s the part of their career that is in danger of getting lost when discussion focuses on their final appearances and selection controversies.

THE FAREWELL THEY DESERVED

Messi’s farewell at the Monumental gave Argentina supporters a chance to pay tribute to a player who had carried them through years of frustration before hosting the World Cup. Ronaldo’s departure offered no such opportunity. His announcement came after falling out with Jesus and there will be no final appearance in front of Portugal supporters.

Neither player was eligible for an automatic roster spot or a bye game on their own terms. But there was room for more care in how their departures were handled. A selection disagreement should not become the defining memory of a player’s final days with his country.

Messi got a well-deserved farewell to Argentina. Ronaldo did not receive the same ban from Portugal. That is the difference between their departures, not the value of what they gave to international football.

– The end