Romário wrote about Messi's retirement from the Argentine national team, classifying him as one of the greatest players of all time and a true genius of the ball. The former Brazilian player stated that Messi won everything with Barcelona and the national team, and that despite the rivalries between Brazil and Argentina, it is impossible not to recognize the Argentine's talent.
According to Romário, Messi's retirement symbolizes the end of the era of great stars in football. He argues that modern football has become much more collective and tactical, no longer based exclusively on the individual talent of exceptional players as it used to be.
Romário recalled that at the beginning of his career, thinking about playing football meant wanting to be like Pelé or Maradona, since every team had a reference player, usually a skilled midfielder or forward. The rest of the team played for that star player.
The former star mentioned Argentina's last World Cup, where all opposing teams knew exactly which player they should mark with special attention. With Messi's departure from the national team, Romário considers it very unlikely that another player with similar characteristics will emerge.
