Beckham and Mourinho pay tribute to Messi

Former England captain Sir David Beckham says Lionel Messi has inspired "millions of children worldwide" and his "legacy will live forever" following the Argentine's retirement from international football.

Beckham, co-owner of Messi's club Inter Miami, paid tribute to the 39-year-old's international career in which he scored 125 goals in 207 games.

Messi captained Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, saw them reach the final again in 2026 and won two Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.

"This is the moment we get to look back on and realize how grateful we were to witness the greatness of a young kid with a dream," Beckham said on Instagram.

"Leo, you delivered the greatest gift to your country and, for that, your legacy will live forever. Congratulations on all you achieved for Argentina."

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho commented on Messi's retirement post on Instagram, saying "the next Copa America and the next World Cup won't be the same," without Messi involved.

Mourinho frequently managed against Messi in his first stint at Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, a period in which the former Barcelona man won the Ballon d'Or in three consecutive years (2010-2012).

Former Argentina midfielder Angel di Maria, who also played alongside Messi at Paris St-Germain, described him as "the greatest of all time".

"All I know is that I was born in the right century to be able to witness you play, relish your performances and, on top of that, share all those years with you in the national team," he added.

Fellow Argentina World Cup winning team-mate and ex-Spurs defender Cristian Romero posted: "As a kid, I dreamed of meeting you someday. But I never imagined that life would give me the gift of sharing this with you and living by your side through the golden age and greatest era of our national team."

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez shared a similar dream of playing with Messi "even just once," adding: "Life ended up being far more beautiful than that boy was able to imagine.

"I didn't just get to play with you, but we shared training camps, the dressing room, the conversations, the embraces, the difficult moments, the wonderful moments, and we ended up world champions together."

Fifa president Gianni Infantino said: "Congratulations on an extraordinary international career which has inspired millions and redefined the beautiful game.

"Thank you for every unforgettable memory while wearing the colors of [Argentina] and for uniting fans across every corner of the globe."

Commenting on Messi's instagram post, Argentinian Formula One driver Franco Colapinto said: "There are no words that will ever be enough to express our gratitude.

"Thank you for getting back up time and time again and giving everything to make an entire country happy. You are an example to all of us."