Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo reached out to Argentina striker Lionel Messi after his farewell match for the national team, infohub.kz reports.
Messi posted a letter on his Instagram profile in which he said goodbye to the Argentina national team. "It was an incredible journey, full of joy and some sadness, but I am sure that every step I took was worth it," he wrote.
The player thanked the team and the fans, and admitted that he already misses them. He stressed, however, that he believes his decision to end his international career is the right one.
In the comments under the post, Cristiano Ronaldo addressed Messi and expressed his respect for the former Argentina captain. "Leo, for so many years you defended your country, and this story will remain in memory forever. My respect for what you achieved with Argentina. Hugs," Ronaldo wrote.
The day before, the Argentina men's national football team cruised to a resounding home win over Benin in a historic friendly in Buenos Aires. The match was Lionel Messi's farewell appearance for Argentina.