Hansi Flick saddened by Lionel Messi’s international retirement

Hansi Flick says he is saddened by Lionel Messi’s decision to end his international career, but regards the former Argentina captain as the best player in the world.

The Barcelona manager paid tribute to Messi after the 2026 World Cup, which marked the end of a remarkable international career spanning almost 20 years.

“He is the best player in the world. He is an amazing player. I really enjoyed his performance at the World Cup; he was great and amazing,” Flick said.

Messi ended his time with Argentina having made 207 appearances and scored 125 goals for his country. During that period, he won the 2022 World Cup and two Copa America titles before drawing his international career to a close after the 2026 World Cup final.

Flick acknowledged that Messi’s retirement was difficult to accept, but said the forward had already achieved everything possible at international level.

“On the one hand, I feel sad, but that is life. He has had an amazing career, he is the best, and he proved it at the World Cup,” the German manager added.

Messi’s journey with Argentina was marked by years of disappointment before he finally reached the summit of the international game. He lost the 2014 World Cup final and several Copa America finals, with those defeats creating a difficult period for a player who had already established himself as one of football’s greatest talents.

His breakthrough with Argentina arrived in 2021, when he led the team to the Copa America title. That success ended a long wait for a major senior international trophy and was followed a year later by an even greater achievement.

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Messi guided Argentina to the global title, securing the most important honour of his international career. The triumph became the defining chapter of his time with the national team and completed a rise from repeated final defeats to World Cup glory.

That record now closes with Messi having represented Argentina more than 200 times and scored 125 goals. His international career included two Copa America triumphs and the World Cup victory in Qatar, before his final appearance came after the 2026 tournament.

For Flick, those achievements reinforce Messi’s status as football’s outstanding player. Although the Barcelona manager admitted he was disappointed to see him leave the international stage, he stressed that Messi’s career had already reached an extraordinary level.

Messi’s decision brings an end to one of the longest and most successful international careers in modern football, while Flick’s comments underline the regard in which the Argentina captain continues to be held by one of the game’s leading managers.