Lionel Messi pays emotional tribute to Andres Iniesta following his retirement | OneFootball

Since Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta announced his retirement from football on Monday, social media has been flooded with messages of gratitude for the former Barcelona player. One of the most notable tributes came from his long-time teammate, Leo Messi.

The World Cup winner shared a story on his Instagram account featuring a photo of himself alongside Iniesta celebrating a goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 2018.

This match, which ended in a 1-1 draw in the Champions League round of 16, allowed Barça to progress to the next stage of the tournament.

“One of the teammates with the most magic and one of the ones I enjoyed playing with the most. Andres Iniesta, the ball will miss you, and so will all of us. I wish you the best always; you are a phenomenon,” Messi wrote in his heartfelt message.

Source: Instagram

Messi and Iniesta were key figures in what many consider the greatest Barcelona team in history.

The legendary duo played together in 489 matches while wearing the Blaugrana jersey, with Iniesta being the third player Messi has shared the pitch with the most, behind Sergio Busquets (600) and Gerard Pique (509).

Together, they won an impressive 32 titles, including 4 Champions League trophies, 9 La Liga titles, 6 Copa del Rey victories, 7 Supercopa de Espana titles, 3 UEFA Super Cups, and 3 FIFA Club World Cups – all with Barcelona.

Messi and Iniesta also shared the podium for the 2010 Ballon d’Or, with the Argentine winning the Golden Orb, while the now-retired midfielder came in second, with another Barcelona legend, Xavi Hernandez, finishing third.