Real Madrid Man Sends Message to Lionel Messi on International Retirement

Lionel Messi, one of the greatest players ever to play the sport and Real Madrid's longtime nemesis, decided to call time on his international career yesterday.

During the opening days of the grand tournament, there were already a lot of assumptions being made regarding Messi's international retirement, which the 8-time Ballon d'Or winner has now confirmed via social media.

The Argentine magician has already received numerous messages that congratulated him on his illustrious career with his national side.

And Los Blancos manager Jose Mourinho was also quick to forget the past rivalry and join in on showing respect to one of the greats of the game.

Mourinho commented on Messi's social media post, saying (h/t Madrid Zone), "Congratulations on a brilliant and unforgettable international career. The next Copa America and the next World Cup will not be the same."

Messi scored a total of 125 goals and provided 68 assists in 207 appearances for his national side.Unfortunately, his tally of 21 World Cup goals fell short of Kylian Mbappe's 22, as the Frenchman scored 10 goals in this edition compared to the eight scored by Messi.

As for Mourinho, he has never managed a side with the World Cup winner in it, but the Portuguese manager certainly has been on the receiving end of Messi's brilliance on multiple occasions.

Apart from scoring 26 goals and providing 14 assists while playing against the Whites, the 39-year-old also scored 10 times against Mourinho's Madrid during the manager's first stint with the Merengues.

Despite having the likes of Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pepe and others guarding Los Blancos' goal, Mourinho was unable to stop Messi from scoring during some of the crucial games.

Mourinho has also admired Messi's brilliance on multiple occasions in the past, and it is quite natural for the best to recognize the best.

Despite calling it a day on his international career, the Argentine hero will continue to play ball for his current side, Inter Miami, and bring joy to billions of his fans worldwide. 

Former Real Madrid midfielder, Casemiro also decided to join the MLS side this summer and is already starring alongside the Argentine forward.

The Brazilian midfielder has also shown his admiration for the former Barca star during his time at Manchester United and is seemingly enjoying playing alongside Messi at this stage of his career.

And as it stands, both Mourinho and Casemiro will breathe a sigh of relief, as they won't have to prepare to stop their tormentor of many previous occasions anymore.