Boca Juniors president Riquelme gave an exclusive interview to TyC Sports, sharing his views on Messi's retirement from the Argentine national team. The two played alongside each other for Argentina, winning the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and have maintained a close personal relationship. Riquelme praised Messi highly while also sharing his own perspective: he believes the best choice for Messi is to continue playing in MLS rather than return to Argentine domestic football.

Riquelme: "We must express our infinite gratitude to him. He has fulfilled all his dreams, and he has also fulfilled all of our dreams. What more could we ask of him? Even if he's not the greatest in history, he's very close. No player has ever been able to maintain such a high level for so many years—it's truly extraordinary."

"Argentine fans have given him all their love, and he deserves it all. He fought hard throughout his career, endured difficulties in the early days, and ultimately won every trophy. Fate has been kind to him, which is beautiful. Now we just need to give him our love and respect, and thank him for everything he's done for Argentine football and world football. The whole world loves him, and he deserves all of it."

Remembering His National Team Friendship with Messi

Riquelme revealed that he still maintains good contact with Messi and that they have mutual respect. "I chat with him often, we have a good relationship, he appreciates me greatly, and I appreciate him greatly. I would have loved to play more matches with him, but I'm already very fortunate to have experienced playing alongside him on the same field—it's unique, and the friendship and respect between us is invaluable."

"After the Maradona era, we thought we would never see another player of that caliber, but then we had Messi, and his achievements can rival or even surpass his predecessors. How fortunate Argentina is. Let him enjoy football in the United States and play for as long as he wants. Argentine fans will always shower him with boundless love."

Why Messi Shouldn't Return to Argentine Football

Addressing the speculation about Messi potentially returning to play in his birthplace, Riquelme offered his perspective: "I think after the World Cup, Messi's heart is complete. He could have chosen to play for Spain's national team, but he undoubtedly chose his country's colors. We should let him enjoy football peacefully for as long as he wants to play. He should stay in MLS—he belongs to all Argentine fans."

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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