They never fought over the ball directly. One was on the pitch, the other in the dugout. Yet for a time, their rivalry in El Clasico was one of the most talked-about duels in world football. The clash between one man’s footwork and the other’s tactical acumen was, for many, thoroughly enjoyable to watch.
More than a decade has since passed. Messi recently announced his retirement from international football. Asked about it, Mourinho said he will always miss a player like Messi.
Real Madrid play Real Betis in La Liga tomorrow. Asked about Messi’s international retirement at the pre-match press conference, Mourinho said: “It’s hard to talk about Messi. There isn’t much left to say about his quality as a player. Even at this World Cup, at 38 or 39 years old, he showed us what he can still do.”
Messi, who led Argentina to the World Cup title in 2022, captained the team to the final again this time. The 39-year-old star then announced his international career was over. Mourinho’s words captured the sense that Messi’s departure marks the end of an era in football: “Sometimes there are players you’ll miss. To enjoy his last few years or seasons, we might have to watch some MLS matches. Personally, I don’t much enjoy watching MLS, but if you want to watch him, you’ll have to. Because he’s the kind of player you’ll always miss.”
Mourinho and Messi never worked together or played on the same team directly. Mourinho was Real Madrid’s coach from 2010 to 2013, while Messi was at Barcelona. The El Clasico clashes of that era were charged with tension and controversy. As a coach, Mourinho repeatedly had to contend with Messi’s Barcelona.
But that rivalry never diminished Mourinho’s respect for Messi. The Portuguese coach said: “We all know what he represented for our generation over the last two decades.”