The news that Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi is retiring from the men’s national football team sent shockwaves through the world. While teammates and footballing institutions were quick to send the 39-year-old farewell messages, the announcement also made headlines on some of the world’s most important media outlets.
In Spain, where Messi played for most of his career, Madrid-based Marca was the only one to put him on its cover, saying the Argentine star will leave “an empty space that’s impossible to fill” in football. Meanwhile, Barcelona-based Mundo Deportivo and Sport, which for years reported on the Rosario star’s exploits with FC Barcelona, placed the news at the top of the cover.
In the United Kingdom, only the Daily Telegraph had a block for Messi’s retirement on its cover, offering an olive branch after the controversial duel between England and Argentina in the 2026 World Cup. “Forget the ugly ending, Messi redefined football,” read the headline.
It was a big difference from The Sun, which mocked Messi on its online version by recalling the time the star announced his retirement from the national team in 2016 after losing a second Copa America final — a decision the Argentine star later recanted.
