Retirement
Player retiring from competition.
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Messi scores penalty in fairytale Argentina farewell to end 126-goal international career
Lionel Messi signed off his Argentina career with a trademark penalty in a 3-0 friendly win over Benin in Buenos Aires, finishing with 208 caps and 126 goals — both national records — and a place in history as the only player to start three World Cup finals.
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Messi scores penalty on farewell as Argentina's record cap holder bows out with 126 goals
Lionel Messi signed off his international career with a penalty in Argentina's 3-0 friendly win over Benin in Buenos Aires, finishing as his country's all-time leading scorer with 126 goals in 208 caps.
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PSG pays tribute to Messi's international retirement as fans respond with bitterness
As Lionel Messi plays his final match in an Argentina shirt against Benin, PSG paid tribute to him on social media — a gesture immediately criticized by supporters who have not forgotten his difficult spell in Paris.
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Ronaldo vows to continue with Portugal after blaming coach Jorge Jesus for squad walkout
Cristiano Ronaldo has denied he is retiring from international football, insisting he will return to the Portugal squad once he serves an expected suspension — but he placed the blame for his walkout squarely on newly appointed coach Jorge Jesus.
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Ronaldo breaks silence with 2,000-word statement accusing Jorge Jesus of broken promises
Cristiano Ronaldo has published a lengthy personal statement detailing why he walked out of the Portugal squad, claiming manager Jorge Jesus broke pre-agreed promises over his role and playing time.
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Neymar pays tribute to Messi ahead of his final match with Argentina
On the eve of Lionel Messi's farewell match with Argentina against Benin in Buenos Aires, his former teammate Neymar sent him a personal message on Instagram, hailing his impact on world football.
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Messi bids farewell to Argentina career in Buenos Aires friendly against Benin
Lionel Messi will play his final match for Argentina in a specially organised farewell friendly against Benin at the Estadio Más Monumental in Buenos Aires, bringing the curtain down on a 207-cap international career that included a World Cup, two Copa Americas and an Olympic gold.
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Ronaldo issues ultimatum: return to Portugal only if Jorge Jesus leaves
Cristiano Ronaldo has set a non-negotiable condition for a return to the Portuguese national team: the departure of manager Jorge Jesus, who left him on the bench without bringing him on against Norway on September 27.
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Fred reveals dressing-room chaos after Ronaldo's Piers Morgan interview rocked Man Utd
Former Manchester United midfielder Fred has described the 'week of turmoil' that followed Cristiano Ronaldo's bombshell Piers Morgan interview in 2022, recalling the moment staff switched off aeroplane mode after a match and the squad descended into chaos.
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Jacek Ziober, Montpellier's European Hero of the 1990s, Dies at 60
Polish winger Jacek Ziober, a former Montpellier player, has died following a long illness at the age of 60. The author of 22 goals in 110 matches for MHSC, he scored the opening goal of the club's European Cup Winners' Cup campaign.
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Messi ends 208-cap Argentina career: the red card debut, corruption claims and World Cup glory
Lionel Messi will earn his 208th and final Argentina cap in a friendly against Benin in Buenos Aires, drawing the curtain on a 20-year international career that brought three major trophies alongside controversy and heartbreak.
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Deschamps absent from Pirès tribute, rift with 1998 World Cup champions confirmed
While Zidane, Henry, Thuram and nearly all the heroes of France 98 will gather Tuesday at Saint-Symphorien for Robert Pirès' tribute match, Didier Deschamps will once again be notably absent, illustrating a lasting rupture with his former teammates.
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Zabit Magomedsharipov ends three-year retirement with multi-fight RAF deal
Former UFC featherweight Zabit Magomedsharipov has signed a multi-fight deal with Real American Freestyle, ending a retirement that began in 2022. The 35-year-old is set to make his RAF debut on November 14 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
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Benin goalkeeper warns Messi: no gifts for his final Argentina match
Lionel Messi will play his last match for Argentina on Tuesday evening at the Monumental in Buenos Aires against Benin in a friendly with strong symbolic weight. Benin goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou has warned: he will attempt to stop every shot from the Pulga, including penalties.
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Court McGee retires after 16 years and 29 UFC fights with a heartfelt farewell
Court McGee has officially retired from the UFC following a third-round TKO loss to Eric Nolan at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City on 3 October. The TUF Season 11 winner closed out a 16-year, 29-fight career by laying his gloves down in the Octagon.
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Retired Poirier reveals he physically lifted teammate to cheat weigh-in scales
Dustin Poirier has confessed to helping a teammate beat the scales at a Mississippi weigh-in by literally lifting him off the ground while hidden behind a towel, an anecdote the retired UFC star shared on the Deep Waters podcast.
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Messi plays final Argentina match before 85,000 fans at Monumental
Lionel Messi will wear the Argentina shirt for the 208th and final time against Benin at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires. More than half a million people attempted to obtain tickets for the event.
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Gattuso reveals autoimmune disease forced his retirement after 15 years of daily cortisone
Lazio manager Gennaro Gattuso has disclosed that an autoimmune disease ended his playing career in 2013 and has required daily cortisone treatment for 15 years, forcing him to give up alcohol for the past six or seven years.
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Ronaldo walks out on Portugal at 41 with his international future unresolved
Cristiano Ronaldo has abruptly left the Portugal national team camp following a dispute with coach Jorge Jesus, leaving his international future uncertain. The 40-cap record holder departed on 146 goals and 234 caps, with no farewell fixture currently planned.
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Koji Watanabe to retire as HRC CEO with Keiichi Yasuda named successor
Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe will step down on 1 January 2027 after steering the company's return to Formula 1 as an Aston Martin works partner. Keiichi Yasuda, currently HRC's Executive Vice President, has been appointed as his successor.
Formula 1
