José Mourinho reflected on Lionel Messi's retirement from the Argentina national team. The Real Madrid coach spoke on Thursday, a day before his team's match against Betis, about the Argentine star's absence from the Albiceleste.
The Argentina national team, currently first in their World Cup group with 9 points from three wins, no longer has its greatest idol. Messi retired from international football after the last World Cup, leaving a void that Mourinho described as hard to fill. "Hablar de Messi es complicado, no hay mucho más que decir. No hay palabras que puedan describir su calidad como jugador," the Portuguese manager stated in comments reported by Ole.
What did Mourinho say about Messi?
Mourinho explained that Messi is a player who will be missed. He said that even in the last World Cup, which he reached at 38 or 39 years old, he proved to be the player everyone knows. The coach mentioned that now people will have to watch some MLS games to see the star in his final active years. For Mourinho, Messi belongs to that generation of players who, when they stop playing, are missed forever. In the last two decades, he argued, everyone knows what Messi has meant.
This is not the first time Mourinho has connected individual greatness with the Ballon d'Or award. In a previous press conference, he had already outlined his philosophy on the prize.
What is Mourinho's view on the Ballon d'Or?
For José Mourinho, the Ballon d'Or should reward the player whose retirement causes eternal longing. He does not believe it should be given simply for winning collective titles like the Champions League or the World Cup. In that context, he named Messi and Diego Armando Maradona as examples. Mourinho said he misses Maradona, Ronaldo Nazário, Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Leo Messi, Zinedine Zidane and Lothar Matthäus.
The manager suggested that if you want to reward Champions League success, give an award to the coach, like Luis Enrique. For the Spain national team, he opined that Luis de la Fuente would probably deserve that coach's award. Mourinho insisted the Ballon d'Or for the world's best player does not have to go to a footballer from PSG or the Spanish national team. He said the best in the world are two, three, or four players, and everyone knows who they are and where they are.
How does this affect Argentina's present?
While reflecting on Messi's legacy, the Argentina national team continues its path in the 2026 World Cup. With a record of 8 goals scored and only 1 conceded, the team leads its group convincingly. Its last defeat was on July 19 against Spain by 1-0, a result that does not tarnish its great winning streak.
In its last five matches, the national team has four wins and only one defeat, with a sequence of results LWWWW. Fans can follow the team's progress and check upcoming fixtures on our fixtures page. The squad, which can be reviewed in our squad section, is working to maintain the high level shown.
Who inherits Messi's record?
In his comments, Mourinho also indirectly referenced who inherited a historic record from Messi. He mentioned that 'ha hecho historia este verano' alluding to Kylian Mbappé, who became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals, surpassing Messi's 21. This fact underscores the scale of the achievements the Argentine leaves behind.
Mourinho had previously made a podium of the greatest players of all time, placing Messi first, followed by Pelé and Maradona. The Argentina national team, which leads the standings of its World Cup group, faces the immediate future with the ambition of honoring that legacy. Its next official match is a key date in the group stage calendar.
