Argentine football legend Lionel Messi shared a touching message in honor of Andrés Iniesta following the Spaniard’s retirement announcement on Monday. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner took to his social media accounts to reflect on their memories together.
“One of the teammates with the most magic and one of those I enjoyed playing with the most. The ball is going to miss you, and so will all of us. I wish you the best always, you’re a phenomenon.” wrote the illustrious Argentinian.
Alongside Iniesta, the Argentine forward celebrated four Champions League titles during their time at Barcelona, winning in 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2015. Iniesta was everpresent for the Spanish national side, making 138 appearances for his country, scoring 13 goals. One of the biggest moments of his career was scoring the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final to help Spain secure the title. Besides the world cup, he was also key in helping his country secure two European Championships.
The 40-year-old midfielder announced his retirement on October 7. This decision followed the release of an emotional video featuring Iniesta, which included a poignant caption: “The game goes on,” reflecting on his experiences with former Barcelona managers such as Luis Enrique, Louis van Gaal, and Pep Guardiola. Since the announcement, social media has been flooded with tributes and comments from fans around the world.
