José Mourinho has paid tribute to Lionel Messi following the Argentine captain’s decision to step away from international football, saying the next Copa América and World Cup will not feel the same without one of the game’s greatest players.
Mourinho knows better than most what it means to prepare for Messi. During his time in the Real Madrid dugout, the Portuguese manager repeatedly had to devise tactical plans aimed at containing the Argentine forward, whose dribbling, movement and ability to change a match in an instant posed a constant threat.
The rivalry was particularly intense during the period when Real Madrid and Barcelona dominated Spanish football. Messi was Barcelona’s talisman, while Mourinho was tasked with finding ways to limit his influence in some of the most fiercely contested matches of the era. Yet, with Messi now bringing his international career to an end, the old rivalry has given way to admiration.
Messi announced his decision on Instagram on Monday, bringing an emotional chapter of his career to a close. In his farewell message, the Argentina captain said he had reached the decision only after a long period of consideration.
He described it as an extremely painful choice, acknowledging that the decision continued to weigh heavily on him. Messi also stressed that he had always given everything for the Argentina shirt, not only during the years when the national side enjoyed major success but also throughout the difficult periods that preceded them.
His international journey was far from straightforward. Messi endured years of intense scrutiny and disappointment with Argentina, particularly after defeats in major finals. Despite those setbacks, he continued to represent his country and eventually played a central role in one of the most successful periods in Argentina’s modern football history.
The turning point came with Argentina’s Copa América triumph, followed by victory at the 2022 World Cup. The latter success was especially significant for Messi, completing the major international achievement that had eluded him for much of his career. Argentina subsequently added another Copa América title, further strengthening his legacy with the national team.
Messi’s international career has therefore encompassed both prolonged disappointment and historic success. His decision to leave the scene marks a major change for Argentina, which will now have to move forward without a player who has been central to its identity for many years.
Mourinho responded to Messi’s farewell message in the comments section of the post. Despite having spent years as one of his most notable opponents from the Real Madrid dugout, Mourinho offered warm praise for the Argentine.
“Congratulations on an incredible and unforgettable international career,” Mourinho wrote. He then added that the next Copa América and the next World Cup would not be the same in Messi’s absence.
The message underlines the extraordinary standing Messi has achieved even among those who spent years trying to stop him. For Mourinho, the player who once demanded detailed tactical preparation is now leaving behind an international legacy that has shaped an entire generation of football.
Argentina will enter a new era without its long-standing captain and attacking focal point. For supporters around the world, meanwhile, future major tournaments will offer a different spectacle without Messi on the international stage.
Mourinho’s brief tribute captures that sense of change: Messi’s departure is not simply the end of another international career, but the absence of a figure who has become inseparable from the modern history of world football.
