Barcelona has drawn criticism after briefly responding to Lionel Messi’s announcement that he is retiring from international football with Argentina, only to remove the message later.
Messi’s decision on Monday attracted widespread attention across the sporting world because of his status as one of football’s greatest players. However, the reaction from Barcelona – the club where he spent most of his professional career – fell short of what many supporters expected.
Within hours of Messi’s announcement, Paris Saint-Germain published a message praising the influence of the current Inter Miami player and his impact on the sport. Messi spent only two seasons with the French club, but it was among the first major clubs to publicly recognise his legacy.
Other teams with no direct connection to most of Messi’s career also paid tribute. Bayern Munich, Napoli and Augsburg were among the clubs to acknowledge the significance of the moment.
“Farewell, Leo Messi. 🐐”
The response went beyond football, with some official accounts belonging to National Basketball Association clubs also reacting to the announcement. Their messages highlighted the scale of Messi’s international retirement across the wider sporting world.
Barcelona, by contrast, did not initially publish a dedicated tribute on its official social media accounts, despite Messi having spent the majority of his career with the Catalan club. During his time there, he played a major role in establishing Barcelona among Europe’s elite, won numerous domestic and European honours and created many memorable moments for supporters around the world.
The club did eventually respond to Messi’s Instagram announcement, leaving a short comment beneath his post.
“لقد بذلت كل ما في وسعك حتى اخر انفاسك. بلدك ومدينة برشلونة باكملها فخورون بالارث الذي تركته” “You gave everything you could until your last breath. Your country and the entire city of Barcelona are proud of the legacy you have left.”
That message was later deleted by Barcelona, prompting further criticism of the club’s handling of the occasion. The decision added to the perception that the response was deliberately restrained and sent a harsh message to Messi, particularly at a moment when many expected his former club to offer a more emotional acknowledgement of his achievements.
Messi played for Barcelona from 2005 until 2021. He won a host of domestic and European trophies with the club and became its defining player during one of the most successful periods in its history.
He left after the expiry of his final contract with Barcelona and subsequently joined Paris Saint-Germain. After his two-year spell in France, Messi moved to Inter Miami, where he currently plays.
His international retirement with Argentina has therefore prompted tributes from clubs across football and from organisations outside the sport, while Barcelona’s brief and subsequently deleted response has become a subject of debate among fans and observers.
