'The Ball Will Miss You and So Will We': Lionel Messi's Heartwarming Tribute to Andres Iniesta Post Retirement

The news of former Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta’s retirement from the beautiful game inspired goodbyes from all over the world, and his former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi was no exception.

The legendary Argentine, who now plays for Inter Miami in the MLS, took to social media to share his well wishes to Iniesta upon news of his retirement from football.

‘Don Andres’, as he was lovingly called by the Barca faithful, brought down the curtains on an illustrious 22-year career on Monday with an emotional video message.

In a heartfelt post on his Instagram stories, Messi shared a picture of the duo in action for Barcelona, as he conveyed his goodbyes and heartfelt thanks to the Spaniard for his legendary career.

“One of the most magical teammates and one I enjoyed playing with the most. @andresiniesta8, the ball will miss you, and so will we! Wishing you the best always, you’re a phenomenon,” wrote Messi.

During his 18-year tenure iwth Barcelona, Iniesta made 674 appearances for the Blaugranas, en route to winning nine La Liga titles, four Champions League trophies, three FIFA Club World Cups, six Copa del Rey titles, three UEFA Super Cups and seven Spanish Super Cups with Barcelona.

In fact, Messi and Iniesta forged one of the most iconic partnerships in football history, appearing together in 482 matches for Barcelona, sharing the spoils of four UEFA Champions League trophies and eight La Liga titles.

The pair rose through Barcelona’s famed La Masía academy, breaking into the first team in the late 2000s and quickly establishing themselves as linchpins of the squad.

But it was in 2018, when Iniesta finally decided to part ways with his boyhood club, opting to make a move to Vissel Kobe in Japan, with whom he spent 5 years, making 134 appearances for them.

As a last pitstop, Iniesta then took his talents to the UAE in 2023, where he represented Al-Wasl, only to end up partaking in a disappointing season that saw the club finish 13th in the league and get relegated.