Farewell Celebration: Messi and Riquelme Unite in a Memorable Boca Juniors Match

 Farewell Celebration: Messi and Riquelme Unite in a Memorable Boca Juniors Match

Messi and Riquelme (Twitter)

"Don't you dream of such a farewell celebration! The stadium is filled with lights and shadows. There is no empty space in the gallery of nearly 54,000 seats. Almost everyone is wearing the blue and golden jerseys of Boca Juniors. Some people even wore Argentina's jersey. And Juan Roman Riquelme? Has anyone seen him after nine years of leaving the game? Such a farewell celebration, officially organized after 9 years of retiring, hasn't touched him, has it?

Riquelme to Messi: "I apologize to your family that you had vacations and stayed a couple more days, I’m very grateful that you always said yes to me and for all the bosteros I am lucky to have you here. I hope you had a great time. I love you very much." pic.twitter.com/NDs3slsA9J

— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) June 26, 2023

There was no opportunity for anything like that. Boca Juniors abandoned the game in 2015. In the farewell match organized after 8 years, who was not there! Lionel Messi, Lionel Scaloni, and Angel Di Maria were there, along with River Plate's eternal rival, Javier Mascherano. Even in such an emotional match, Messi's supporters couldn't stay silent when it was time for Scaloni to step onto the field as his replacement. Let's not forget the players of the eternal rival team! Savio, too, has heard the jeers. It might have upset Messi a little.

Messi and Riquelme

However, when Angel Di Maria's name was announced on the stadium speakers, the way the spectators cheered, Messi hadn't experienced anything like that. That's why Argentina couldn't give this star's immortality by winning the World Cup 36 years later. Messi entered the field singing, "Olé, Olé, Olé, Messi, Messi, Messi." He bid farewell to the audience by raising both hands. His time is passing quickly.

Last Saturday, he attended the farewell match of former teammate Sergio Aguero. Yesterday, he bid farewell to Riquelme. So, what lies ahead for Messi's farewell?

That's still unclear. But it became evident after the friendly match. Messi is currently thinking about joining Inter Miami. Leaving PSG, he will start a new chapter in Major League Soccer (MLS) with Miami's team. After the match, the 36-year-old star said, "(Playing for Miami) is something I'm considering. I want to enjoy these moments and holidays with my family."

When Messi started wearing the Argentine jersey, he began to shine among the famous names in football. Even though both of them were part of the Argentine team in the 2006 World Cup, they couldn't shine together. In the guise of Argentina, the two only played together in 27 matches. Riquelme retired from the national team in 2009, leaving a mark by scoring 17 goals in 51 matches. Everyone acknowledges that he could have given a lot more to the national team. Unfortunately, it didn't happen, but Messi considers Riquelme's farewell match as a special occasion for Argentine football.

After the match, Messi said, "It feels great to be part of this celebration. It's something special for Argentine football and for Boca. We returned to La Bombonera (Boca Juniors' stadium). It's a special day."

The match was actually a festive occasion. Messi's Argentina vs. Riquelme's Boca Juniors. Messi's team took to the field wearing the national team jersey. Messi had the golden-blue jersey with Riquelme's number 10 on his back after 9 years! During the coin toss, Riquelme hugged Messi. Before the start of the game, he hugged him again on the field. Even the supporters of Boca applauded. Despite Messi not winning anything in football, Riquelme is more beloved among Boca's supporters. It represents their loyalty and love for the club.

In a span of 13 years in two stints, Riquelme, who is 45 years old, has become a legend of the club. He has won the league multiple times and also