Lionel Messi praised for one trait ahead of Argentina farewell as Cristian Romero delivers apparent Cristiano Ronaldo dig

Lionel Messi is preparing to say goodbye to Argentina after an extraordinary international career, but the tributes from his teammates have already begun to reveal what made him so influential inside the squad. Cristian Romero has highlighted one defining quality of Messi’s leadership, with his comments also appearing to contain an indirect reference to Cristiano Ronaldo as Portugal’s veteran superstar faces uncertainty over his own international future.

Messi is expected to make his final appearance for Argentina against Benin on October 6 at the Estadio Monumental. For Romero, however, the emotional significance of the farewell goes far beyond soccer, particularly because the 39-year-old played a personal role in making him Argentina’s new captain.

Romero revealed that Messi personally chose him to become Argentina’s captain, making the responsibility even more meaningful for the defender. The decision comes as Messi brings an extraordinary 21-year international career toward its conclusion. “He chose me as the national team captain, and for me that’s a huge responsibility. The fact that this decision was made by him together with the coach is something wonderful,” Romero told TyC Sports.

The defender also reflected on how much he learned from Messi during their years together with Argentina. Romero admitted that expressing his affection has never been easy for him, something he now wishes he had handled differently.

“I really loved him, and then I got the chance to join the national team and start sharing many moments with him. Thanks to football, a very good friendship developed between us, and now it’s hard for me,” the Atletico Madrid defender said.

Romero reveals Messi’s quality he admires most

The most revealing part of Romero’s tribute, however, came when he described the way Messi behaved around his teammates. According to the Argentina defender, Messi never allowed his status to separate him from the rest of the squad, even after becoming the central figure in the national team.

“The truth is, we already miss him during this international break. Obviously, it had to happen someday, but I never thought his absence would be felt this much,” the 28-year-old added. He then recalled how Messi reacted after Argentina’s famous victory over England, pointing toward his teammates while the stadium applauded him.

“He never put himself above others. I always get emotional when I rewatch the video after our win over England, when the whole stadium applauds him and he points to the team,” Romero added. “Those kinds of details were always part of who he is. That’s why, for me, he’s the greatest footballer of all time, and also a brilliant person.”

The emphasis on Messi never putting himself above his teammates has inevitably attracted attention because of the current situation surrounding Ronaldo. The Portugal captain recently left his national team camp after a disagreement involving his role under Jorge Jesus, while debate has intensified over how the 41-year-old is being treated by his teammates and coaching staff.

The comments appear to carry a Ronaldo undertone

Romero did not mention Ronaldo by name during his tribute to Messi. Nevertheless, the contrast between Messi’s selfless leadership and the current controversy surrounding Ronaldo has made the comments look like an apparent indirect dig at the Al-Nassr forward.

Ronaldo’s situation with Portugal has become increasingly complicated after he was left on the bench for the 2-1 victory over Norway and subsequently learned that Goncalo Ramos was expected to start against Denmark. He then left the Portugal camp, adding further uncertainty to his international future.

The comparison became even more noticeable after the 41-year-old veteran reportedly liked a social media post criticizing the way the Selecao’s players treat him compared with how Argentina treats Messi. That background gives Romero’s description of Messi’s humility an additional layer, although Romero himself did not directly identify Ronaldo or explicitly frame his comments as criticism of him.