Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi announced on Monday his retirement from the men’s national football team, sparking a cascade of reactions across the sports world and Argentina.

One of the first to react was the Albiceleste itself, posting a message on their X account to honor its former captain.

“Eternal gratitude, Leo. We’ll love you until the end of our days,” the official national team account wrote, with an image of Messi lifting the World Cup at Qatar 2022.

The message was followed by several posts from nearly all clubs in the Argentine Primera Division, including River Plate, Racing, Vélez Sarsfield and others.

Several of Messi’s teammates in the Argentine national team published a message for him.

Midfielder Rodrigo de Paul, one of Messi’s closest friends on and off the pitch, was the first to react, highlighting Messi’s “undying love” for Argentina, his “inner battles to never quit,” his “strength to endure injustice” and his “leadership and human quality.”

“Nothing but........

© Buenos Aires Herald