The world champion midfielder recalled how, as a kid, he used to do calculations to see if one day they would match with the Argentine jersey and expressed gratitude for having shared glory together
Lionel Messi's announcement about his definitive departure from the Argentine National Team sparked a wave of tributes from all sides. Among his Albiceleste teammates, Enzo Fernández chose social media to bid farewell with a long and emotional text, accompanied by photos of the moments they shared together.
The Chelsea midfielder and world champion specifically reflected on what he felt when Messi announced his first departure from the national team back in 2016. At that time, Enzo was just a teenager dreaming of making it to the First Division and had a particular habit: he would calculate ages to see if their careers could cross paths one day.
“Leo, when you said you were leaving the National Team that time, I was very sad. I was just a kid and I would do the math with your age and mine to see if one day I could play with you,” he wrote at the beginning. That distant dream ended up surpassing everything he imagined.
Not only did he get to wear the Argentine jersey alongside his idol. They shared training camps, locker rooms, conversations, and even lifted the World Cup together. “It may seem silly, but I really did it: I thought about how many years you might have left, how many I needed to reach the First Division, and I dreamed that, even if just once, we could wear the Argentine jersey together. Luckily, you came back. And life turned out to be much more beautiful than that kid could have imagined,” he added.
From a kid's dream to world champion
Fernández emphasized that the bond they built within the team went far beyond football. He arrived with the hope of meeting his greatest reference and found a teammate who made him feel part of the group from day one.
“I came with the hope of sharing the field with my idol and I found a person who from the very first moment made me feel like one of them. You always had a word, a piece of advice, a hug, or simply a way of making me feel calm when I needed it. I will never forget that,” the midfielder assured.
The memory of the difficult moments and the incredible ones they went through together appears time and again in the message. Enzo highlighted that they not only played together but built a relationship of trust and respect that marked him forever.
In the end, he acknowledged that he still struggles to imagine what it will be like to return to a training camp and not find the historic number 10 in the squad. “Today, I find it hard to imagine the next training camp without you. Going out on the field and not seeing you ahead, wearing the 10. It’s been so many years seeing you there that it seems impossible to think of it any other way,” he wrote.
The most heartfelt farewell
The closing of Enzo Fernández's text summarizes all the gratitude and accumulated emotion. “What luck I had, Leo. What luck that kid had who did the math without knowing if he would ever arrive on time. Thank you for treating me the way you did, for everything you taught me, and for letting me share a part of your story. We will miss you a lot, captain.”
Enzo's message adds to the many tributes the captain received from the Argentine squad. In an intimate tone and without grandiosity, the midfielder managed to convey what it meant for him to have coincided with Messi during the most glorious stage of the National Team.
