Mourinho Says Football Will Miss Messi When He Is Gone
Jose Mourinho believes football will only truly appreciate Lionel Messi’s greatness once the Argentine eventually walks away from the game.
The Real Madrid head coach was asked and made the claims about Messi during his pre-match press conference ahead of Friday’s La Liga clash with Real Betis at the Estadio de la Cartuja.
Messi announced his retirement from international football earlier this week after an extraordinary 21-year career with Argentina.
The 39-year-old leaves the national team as its record goalscorer with 125 goals in 207 appearances.
Despite approaching 40, Messi continued to perform at an elite level at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, further convincing Mourinho that the Argentine belongs among the greatest players football has ever produced. The playmaker scored 8 goals at the tournament as Argentina finished as runners up to Spain.
“Talking about Messi is complicated; there’s not much that can be said about him, and there are no words that can describe his quality,” Mourinho said.
Mourinho knows Messi particularly well, having faced the Argentine on numerous occasions during his spells in charge of Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
‘You’ll always miss’ Messi
While the two were often on opposing sides during some of European football’s fiercest rivalries, Mourinho’s latest comments were filled with admiration for a player whose influence has transcended club and international football.
“He arrived at the World Cup at 39 years old, and yet he performed at the level we all saw,” Mourinho added.
Messi’s international career ends with a World Cup triumph in 2022, Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024, and more than two decades of service to Argentina.
However, his retirement from international football does not mean the end of his playing career.
Messi remains with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, giving fans the opportunity to watch him for a little longer.
Mourinho joked that Messi’s continued presence could force him to watch more MLS football than he normally would.
“He’s the kind of player you’ll truly miss, so we’ll have to watch some MLS games,” he said.
“And that’s something I don’t particularly prefer, so we can enjoy these final years of his career.”
Mourinho’s final verdict was unequivocal, placing Messi among the defining footballers of his generation.
“Because he’s one of those players who, as I said previously in one of my press conferences, you’ll always miss,” he said.
“And without a doubt, Messi is one of the greatest players our generation has witnessed.”
With his international chapter now closed, Messi’s remaining years in club football are becoming increasingly precious. For Mourinho, however, the challenge is not finding new words to describe Messi, but recognising that there may never be another player quite like him.