Lionel Messi, the Argentine forward and captain of Inter Miami, has responded to the announcement made by former Barcelona and Spanish national team player Andres Iniesta regarding his retirement from professional football.
Messi posted on his social media accounts:
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.
On October 7, Iniesta officially announced his retirement at the age of 40 via social media.
A graduate of Barcelona's youth academy, Iniesta played for the Blaugrana from 2003 to 2018. In total, he made 674 appearances for the Catalan club, scoring 57 goals and providing 135 assists. During his time with Barcelona, he won the UEFA Champions League four times and the La Liga title nine times.
For the Spanish national team, Iniesta won the World Cup and claimed victory in the UEFA European Championship twice.
The last club in the 40-year-old midfielder's career was the UAE's Emirates FC.
Previously, Iniesta marked his 1000th career match.
In related news, the former Barcelona midfielder named five teammates he enjoyed playing with the most, and Lionel Messi was on the list.
