Greatest gift to his country’: Beckham pays tribute to retiring Messi

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London: David Beckham has described Lionel Messi as an inspiration whose ‘legacy will live forever’ after the Argentina captain announced his retirement from international football.

Messi, 39, announced on Monday that his record-breaking Argentina career had come to a conclusion after 207 games and 125 goals. In July, he made his final international appearance, as Argentina lost to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.

The forward's most notable achievement with Argentina occurred in 2022, when he led the team to World Cup victory in Qatar. Along with his incredible career with Barcelona, Messi's accomplishments for Argentina have solidified his place as one of the greatest football players of all time.

Beckham, the former England captain, witnessed Messi's talent personally as an opponent and as a co-owner of Inter Miami, where the Argentine legend currently plays.

Beckham reflected on Messi's career on Instagram on Tuesday, saying supporters should be glad to have seen him progress from a young player with a dream to a global legend.

‘Leo, you delivered the greatest gift to your country and, for that, your legacy will live forever,’ Beckham wrote, praising Messi on his successes with Argentina.