Tomás Roncero reacts to Matías Palacios weeping over Lionel Messi

“Nos hizo muy felices durante 20 años, Josep,” said journalist Matías Palacios, weeping on the television program El Chiringuito de Jugones following the international retirement of Lionel Messi, Infobae reported on October 7, 2026.

The Emotional Breakdown on El Chiringuito

Messi played his final match in the albiceleste shirt on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, during an international friendly against Benin at the Monumental Stadium that ended in a 3 to 0 victory, according to Infobae. The event served as an official tribute organized for the forward, who contributed two assists and scored a penalty goal. During the subsequent broadcast hosted by Josep Pedrerol, Palacios broke down in tears while reviewing Messi’s career spanning six World Cups across two decades. Palacios called himself grateful to have witnessed the player win a World Cup, praising his resilience through persistent public criticism before offering a direct farewell of repeated thanks.

Tomás Roncero Reevaluates His Stance

The display of grief from his colleague prompted an unexpected reaction from Tomás Roncero, a regular panelist on the program and a self-declared Real Madrid supporter who had publicly criticized Messi just days prior. Roncero admitted that the emotional state of his fellow panelists resonated with him, noting that their personal happiness seemed tied to the player’s fortunes. Roncero stated that he understood the desolation of seeing an idol depart, drawing a comparison to his own experiences watching the departures of club legends like Raúl and Cristiano Ronaldo. He noted that such attachments stem from childhood fandom, where choosing an idol connects a fan to their early years. Roncero acknowledged that the speech delivered by Messi had reached him, and he observed an emotional dependency among his colleagues, noting that some of them might not have gone on vacation feeling equally happy regardless of whether Messi succeeded or failed, as though they were riding in the same joined carriage. “Parece como que sin Leo su vida se queda vacía,” Roncero added.

Roncero Balances Empathy with Reminders of Messi's Failures

Roncero balanced his newfound empathy with a reminder of his previous criticisms—having remarked hours earlier on a history of failures that he considered glossed over by the press—asserting that Messi’s career included defeats alongside victories. He remarked that the player did not always win, though the emotional weight of the farewell overshadowed those past debates.