Rajasthan Royals reacted to Lionel Messi's Argentina retirement with a sarcastic "7 pm Instagram" social media post, leaving fans emotional by bringing Mahendra Singh Dhoni into the conversation. Shortly after Messi announced his decision to step away from the Argentina national team, the IPL franchise posted a picture comparing the football legend's retirement with MS Dhoni.
Rajasthan Royals shared a post on social media and said, "Lesson learned: Never open Instagram after 7 PM on a random evening. Your favorite athletes may retire."
The post quickly went viral on social media, particularly those who follow both cricket and football. Rajasthan Royals' reference to Dhoni added another layer to the post as the fans remembered the former India captain's retirement and the strong emotions surrounding his career.
Messi announced his retirement from the Argentina national team through an emotional social media post. The 39-year-old said he had thought about the decision for a long time and felt that it was the right moment to step away. He also said he had written the message two days after Argentina's 2026 World Cup final defeat to Spain.
Netizens Reaction
Reacting to the social media post, one user wrote, "Imagine comparing a goat vs IPL franchise carrier."
Another user pleaded, "Please dont disrespect messi !!!"
A third fan joked, "Mandatory Thala posting from RR admin."
Another comment read, "Admin any personal dushmani??? why making us so emotional."
Some fans also highlighted how difficult the moment was for supporters of both sporting icons. "It's too late to learn the lesson now. Both of my people retired (I've no favourites now :)"
Another fan wrote, "Think about me I am a Dhoni and Messi fan."
The comparison also led to some criticism of the post as one user asked, "Comparing messis retirement to this bum?"
For fans who have followed both Messi and Dhoni, the post brought together two sporting icons who have created huge fan bases across different sports.
However, the comparison should be seen in the context of RR's humorous social media style, rather than as a direct comparison of their sporting achievements. Messi has announced his retirement from international football, but he has not retired from club football and continues to play for Inter Miami.
For Rajasthan Royals, the message was clearly designed as a light-hearted reaction to an emotional sporting moment. And judging by the replies, the post managed to make fans laugh, argue and get emotional at the same time.
