Sir David Beckham, Jose Mourinho and several of Lionel Messi's former team-mates have paid tribute to the Argentine following his retirement from international football. Beckham, co-owner of Messi's club Inter Miami, said the 39-year-old had inspired "millions of children worldwide" and that his "legacy will live forever", while Real Madrid manager Mourinho, who often faced Messi during his first spell in charge of the Spanish club, said future Copa America and World Cup tournaments "won't be the same" without him.

Messi scored 125 goals in 207 appearances for Argentina, captaining the side to World Cup glory in 2022, a further final appearance in 2026, and Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024. Tributes also came from former team-mates Angel di Maria, Cristian Romero and Enzo Fernandez, who described sharing dressing rooms and World Cup success with him, as well as Fifa president Gianni Infantino, who thanked Messi for "redefining the beautiful game", and Argentine F1 driver Franco Colapinto.