‘It hurts me to see Messi in tears’: What Cristiano Ronaldo said when the Argentina star retired from international football for the first time in 2016, urging his biggest rival to return

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi (Image Agency) When Lionel Messi first announced his international retirement in 2016, the football world was stunned. He was just 29 years old, Argentina had just suffered another heartbreaking defeat and Messi had missed a penalty in the Copa America final against Chile.Among those who responded was Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi’s long-time rival. Rather than criticize the decision, Ronaldo urged fans to understand what his fellow superstar is going through.“Messi made a difficult decision and people should understand that,” Ronaldo told Mundo Deportivo at the time.Ronaldo believed the repeated defeats took an emotional toll on Messi, who suffered another major setback with Argentina after losing the 2014 FIFA World Cup final to Germany and the 2015 Copa America final to Chile.“He is not used to defeats and disappointments, not even second place. Missing a penalty does not make you a bad player,” added Ronaldo.The Portuguese star also made it clear that he does not want Messi’s international career to end there. Seeing his rival in tears after the final, Ronaldo hoped the Argentine would eventually change his mind.“It hurts to see Messi in tears and I hope he returns to his country because he needs it,” Ronaldo said.

Messi finally came back

Ronaldo’s wish came true.Messi reversed his decision and returned to Argentina duty, ultimately turning the most painful period of his international career into one of football’s greatest redemption stories.He helped Argentina end a 28-year wait for a major international trophy by winning the Copa America in 2021. He then led the team to another Copa America title in 2024.The biggest moment came at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.After years of disappointment, Messi finally lifted the World Cup, scoring twice in the final against France and converting a penalty in the shootout after the match ended 3-3 after extra time. Argentina won 4–2 on penalties to win their first World Cup since 1986.

Messi is retiring again

Messi has now announced his retirement from international football for the second time.More than a month after Argentina lost the 2026 World Cup final to Spain 1-0 in North America, Messi has confirmed he will no longer play for the national team. His decision also came a few days after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, who died on August 8 in Rosario at the age of 68.In a written statement, Messi said the decision was painful but he believes it is the right time to leave.“After so long since the final and after thinking about it a lot, I want to tell everyone that I am quitting the national team. It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep inside, but I understand that this is the right moment,” Messi said.He insisted that he always gave his all for Argentina and the national team jersey.“I swear I always gave everything, not only in these last years when we won everything, but also before that. I always fought and gave everything for this shirt to bring you happiness and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football,” he added.Messi also acknowledged that there was little time left in this chapter of his career and pointed to the next generation of Argentine players.“There is not much time left and different chapters are coming to an end. This is one that hurts a lot. I love, loved and will always love to be part of the national team. I gave everything I had and I have nothing more to give. There are also great young players coming who deserve to be here,” he said.

A very different ending

The circumstances surrounding Messi’s second retirement are very different from 2016.He left for the first time after another final defeat and a missed penalty, still looking for his first major international trophy with Argentina.This time he leaves after winning the Copa America twice and finally securing the World Cup his country has waited 36 years to celebrate.Messi finished his Argentine career as the country’s most capped player and top scorer with 203 appearances and 124 goals. He also leaves as the top scorer in the history of South American football.In six World Cups between 2006 and 2026, Messi scored 21 goals in 34 matches. He finished second on the tournament’s all-time goalscoring list behind Kylian Mbappe’s 22.He will continue his club career with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.Ronaldo’s 2016 message therefore now has a different meaning. When Messi first left, his greatest international achievements were still ahead of him. Ronaldo hoped his rival would make a comeback, and Messi eventually did, winning trophies that once seemed beyond his reach.