Bellingham Takes Dig At Messi After Retirement Announcement

England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has appeared to take a subtle dig at Lionel Messi following the Argentine’s retirement announcement.

Messi, 39, announced his decision to retire from international football in an emotional statement on Monday, saying he had “nothing more to prove” despite acknowledging that the decision remained painful.

The Argentina captain said, “I am leaving with the peace and pride of having given them, together with my teammates, dream moments. It was crazy to have lived it with you. I love you!”

While tributes poured in for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Bellingham appeared to take a different approach by calling on Messi’s long-time rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, to continue playing.

Ronaldo currently plays for Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.

In a Facebook post, Bellingham wrote: “Don’t retire Ronaldo keep playing for your fans,” accompanied by two heart emojis.

Although Bellingham did not directly mention Messi, his message to Ronaldo came shortly after the Argentine superstar announced his retirement, prompting some fans to interpret the post as a subtle dig at Messi.

Messi and Ronaldo have been at the centre of one of football’s greatest individual rivalries, with both players enjoying extraordinary success at club and international level.

Bellingham’s apparent preference for Ronaldo to continue playing also comes against the backdrop of the long-standing football rivalry between England and Argentina.

The two nations have shared several memorable and controversial encounters at the World Cup, including their quarter-final clash at the 1986 tournament in Mexico.

Argentina won that match 2-1, with Diego Maradona scoring twice, including the infamous “Hand of God” goal and a second effort widely regarded as one of the greatest goals in World Cup history.

England and Argentina met again at the 1998 World Cup, with Argentina advancing on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

More recently, tensions between the two football nations resurfaced following Argentina’s victory over England in the 2026 World Cup semi-final.

Following the match, Argentina’s players celebrated with a banner bearing the words “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” (The Falklands are Argentine), according to reports.

FIFA subsequently fined the Argentine Football Association $321,000 over the post-match celebrations.

However, Bellingham’s camp has not said the player’s message to Ronaldo was directly connected to the historical or political tensions between England and Argentina.
But coming shortly after Messi’s announcement, Bellingham’s decision to urge Ronaldo to continue playing has given football fans another talking point in the enduring Messi-Ronaldo debate.