Messi's farewell, Ronaldo's fallout. Did football get it right?

For years, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been the two names around which international football's biggest conversations revolved. Their goals decided games, their presence changed the mood of tournaments and, for millions of supporters, watching Argentina or Portugal meant watching them. Now, both have played their final games for their countries. But the way their international careers have ended tells two very different stories.Messi got his moment at the Monumental in Buenos Aires, in front of a crowd that had followed him through the criticism, the disappointments and, eventually, the triumphs. Ronaldo's Portugal career ended with a video announcement following a public disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus.Their departures raise a question that goes beyond two celebrated careers. Does football know how to give its greatest international servants the send-off they deserve?A FAREWELL IN BLUEThe Monumental was always going to be an emotional setting for Messi's final appearance in an Argentina shirt. Around 85,000 supporters turned up to see their captain one last time, and the team gave them a fitting result. Argentina beat Benin 3-0, with Messi scoring and providing two assists. The opposition may not have offered the sternest test for a farewell of this stature. A fixture against a leading international side would perhaps have made for a more competitive occasion. But the significance of the night was never going to rest on the quality of the opposition. It was about recognising what Messi has meant to Argentina. Messi got the chance to say goodbye to Argentina fans on his international farewell. (Photo: Reuters) That relationship was not always so comfortable. For much of his international career, Messi was judged against Diego Maradona and the burden of Argentina's footballing history. Defeats in successive major finals only intensified the criticism. There was even a point when he announced his retirement from international football before returning to lead the national team again. The 2022 World Cup changed the terms of that relationship. Messi finally delivered the trophy Argentina had waited 36 years to win, easing the criticism that had followed him for much of his career.Argentina's subsequent World Cup final defeat to Spain brought a different kind of disappointment. Losing 1-0 after extra time, with Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal, was difficult enough. The scenes after the final whistle made matters worse, with members of the Argentine contingent involved in confrontations with their Spanish counterparts. Did the FIFA World Cup final scuffle spoil Messi's grand finale? (Photo: Reuters) Argentina had every right to be frustrated, but Spain had earned the right to celebrate. The post-match incidents took attention away from the champions and left an unfortunate impression of Argentina's campaign. FIFA subsequently imposed disciplinary sanctions. Leandro Paredes received a 10-match suspension, Nahuel Molina was handed a seven-match ban, while Thiago Almada and assistant coach Roberto Ayala were also punished.It was a disappointing end to the campaign. Messi's own achievements should not be judged by the conduct of others, but the controversy remains part of Argentina's recent history. His farewell in Buenos Aires, however, was an opportunity to recognise his own journey and the place he now holds in the country's footballing history.RONALDO'S MORE COMPLICATED EXITRonaldo's departure from Portugal has been a very different story. The debate over his place in the starting XI had been building since the 2022 World Cup, as Portugal began to rely more on a younger generation of attacking players. Questions about the balance of the team and Ronaldo's role within it were inevitable.His standing in Portuguese football was never in question. His place in the team, however, was a separate matter. At this stage of his career, selection could no longer be based on reputation alone. Ronaldo's glorious Portugal career ended in a not-so-glorious manner. (Photo: Reuters) The disagreement with Jesus brought those tensions into the open during the September international break. Ronaldo was an unused substitute in Portugal's 2-1 victory over Norway. He later claimed that the original agreement had been for him to be rested for the away fixtures against Norway and Denmark. According to Ronaldo, that understanding changed, with Jesus indicating that he would feature for around 30 minutes against Norway. He warmed up from half-time but was never introduced.Ronaldo was unhappy with the coach's public explanation, believing it did not reflect their private conversation. The situation escalated when he left Portugal's training camp in Copenhagen ahead of the Denmark fixture. Ronaldo had a fallout with new Portugal coach Jorge Jesus. (Photo: Reuters) He later apologised to his team-mates and supporters, acknowledging that walking out had been a mistake. The Portuguese Football Federation also imposed a suspension and a fine.Ronaldo has now settled the question of his future himself. In a video posted on social media, he announced his immediate retirement from international football, bringing an end to a 23-year career with Portugal.His final appearance came in the 1-0 victory over Wales in September. There will be no farewell appearance in November or final tournament with the national team. The announcement closes a chapter that began in August 2003, when a teenager made his Portugal debut.Ronaldo leaves with 146 goals in 234 appearances, making him the highest scorer in men's international football. He captained Portugal to their first European Championship title in 2016 and helped them win the Nations League in 2019 and 2025. He also became the first player to score at six different World Cups.The manner of his departure is open to discussion, but it does not change what he achieved for Portugal.WHO SHOULD DECIDE WHEN IT ENDS?For a player of Ronaldo's stature, being left out of a starting XI is never going to be a routine selection decision. When someone has been the first name on the team sheet for so long, accepting a reduced role can be difficult. It is just as difficult for a coach to make that call and explain it to a dressing room accustomed to seeing its biggest star lead the side.But international football cannot stand still. Portugal have players who need opportunities, just as Argentina will eventually have to build a team without Messi. A coach must judge what the team needs now, not what a player has delivered over the previous 15 or 20 years. Messi said goodbye to his Argentina career on his own terms. (Photo: Reuters) Ronaldo was entitled to want clarity about his role, while Jesus had every right to make his own selection decisions. The problem was that a disagreement over playing time became a public fallout, turning a team issue into an avoidable distraction. Did Ronaldo spoil his own Portugal farewell? (Photo: Reuters) There is no easy way to have that conversation with a player who has served a country for more than two decades. But a coach does not owe a great player an automatic place in the team. He does owe him honesty and clarity about where he stands.MORE THAN THE NUMBERSThe final years of a great career often attract more scrutiny than the achievements that came before them. Every omission becomes a talking point, every substitution invites questions and performances are measured against standards set at the player's peak.Messi experienced that during his difficult years with Argentina. Ronaldo has faced similar questions since the 2022 World Cup. Neither has been beyond criticism, but their international careers cannot be reduced to the arguments surrounding their final seasons.Messi endured years of disappointment before leading Argentina to the World Cup. Ronaldo became the face of Portugal's emergence as a major force in European football, eventually captaining the side to its first major international title. Their influence was felt far beyond the teams they represented, with millions of supporters following their countries because of the possibility that either man could produce something extraordinary.That is the part of their careers that risks getting lost when the discussion centres on their final appearances and selection disputes.THE GOODBYE THEY DESERVEDMessi's farewell at the Monumental gave Argentina's supporters the chance to acknowledge a player who had taken them through years of frustration before delivering the World Cup. Ronaldo's departure offered no such occasion. His announcement came after a disagreement with Jesus, and there will be no final appearance in front of Portugal's supporters.Neither player was entitled to an automatic place in the team or a farewell match on his own terms. But there was room for greater care in how their departures were handled. A selection disagreement should not become the defining memory of a player's final days with his country.Messi got the farewell his service to Argentina deserved. Ronaldo did not get the same send-off from Portugal. That is the difference between their exits, not the value of what they gave to international football.- Ends