Simeone's heartfelt thank-you to Messi after Argentina retirement

Diego Pablo Simeone has joined the wave of tributes for Lionel Messi after the Argentine forward announced his retirement from the national team. The Atlético de Madrid coach, who shared a dressing room with Diego Armando Maradona at Sevilla and with Argentina, highlighted the mark left by the Rosario-born star after playing in three of the last four World Cup finals with the Albiceleste.

• Simeone underlines Messi's personal growth over more than 20 years at the top level.
• The Argentine coach refuses to choose between Maradona and Messi and feels grateful to have experienced both eras.
• He points out that Messi taught Argentines to keep pushing when things go wrong.
• A few weeks ago, Simeone already called for Messi to win the Ballon d'Or for his World Cup performances.

Simeone refuses to compare Messi and Maradona

Simeone played alongside Maradona at Sevilla and with the Argentine national team, and during his years as Atlético coach he suffered against Messi when the number 10 wore the Barcelona shirt. Even so, he has never wanted to get involved in the debate over which of the two is greater.

I am not going to play the game of choosing one. I was lucky enough to play with Maradona, I was not lucky enough to play with Messi. We Argentines are grateful to have had two of the best in history.

The Buenos Aires-born coach has always shown admiration for Messi, who he sees as an example of how to handle such a long career with respect and good behaviour.

What Simeone values most about Messi's Argentina legacy

For Simeone, Messi's numbers are impossible to beat, but what he values above all is his development as a person and as an athlete. Maintaining that level of demand for two decades, always with an exemplary attitude, is something he considers especially difficult in elite football.

In his message, Simeone went beyond titles and goals. He stressed that Messi's great lesson for the Argentine people has been his ability to keep fighting even when the road gets tough.

Messi is unbeatable in terms of numbers. The growth he has had as a person and as a sportsman has broken every possible boundary, because he has handled it with respect and good behaviour. And that is hard to sustain for 20 or 25 years.

The lesson Messi taught Argentines according to Simeone

The Atlético coach focused on the resilience the Albiceleste captain has shown throughout his international career. After several painful defeats, Messi kept trying until he finally lifted the World Cup with Argentina.

That persistence is, in Simeone's eyes, the greatest value Messi leaves to his compatriots. It is not just about the joy he has given the fans, but about what he has taught through the way he faces difficult moments.

As an Argentine, I want to thank him for everything he gave us. He gave us a lot of joy, but above all he taught us. He taught us to fight. When things go wrong, to keep insisting. And that is the value Messi has for Argentines.

Simeone's admiration for Messi is nothing new

This is not the first time Diego Pablo Simeone has publicly praised Lionel Messi. A few weeks ago, the Argentine coach openly called for the player to win the Ballon d'Or for everything he had done at the World Cup at nearly 40 years old.

Messi's retirement from the Argentine national team closes a historic chapter for the Albiceleste, which he led to three of the last four World Cup finals. His farewell leaves a void that will be hard to fill and a legacy that goes far beyond football itself.