Argentina are bracing for a major transition as they begin life without Lionel Messi, with uncertainty also surrounding the future of coach Lionel Scaloni and several veteran members of the squad.
Messi officially vacated Argentina’s iconic number 10 shirt on Monday after 21 years of representing the national team and carrying the enormous expectations of a football-mad nation.
The burden initially proved difficult for the legendary forward, but the latter stages of his international career ushered in a remarkable golden period for Argentina, with the South American giants securing three major trophies, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The 39-year-old played his final competitive match for Argentina in July, when they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup final.
The result also highlighted the changing landscape of the national team. Of the 17 players who featured for Scaloni in that match, only two will be below the age of 30 when the next World Cup is staged in South America in 2030.
One of the most experienced members of the squad, centre-back Nicolas Otamendi, has already brought his international career to an end. The 38-year-old announced his retirement following the defeat to Spain in New Jersey, where Argentina struggled against a younger and more energetic opposition.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has also hinted that he could step away from international football, while 32-year-old midfielder Leandro Paredes is another veteran whose future remains uncertain.
Paredes, who received a 10-match FIFA suspension for his involvement in an altercation with Spanish players after the final whistle, acknowledged how difficult it could be for Argentina to maintain their previous level without Messi.
“If he isn’t there, it will be hard for everything to keep working the way it used to,” Paredes told Argentine television channel TN.
Rodrigo De Paul, another influential figure in Argentina’s recent success and Messi’s Inter Miami teammate, has also been linked with a possible international retirement.
Beyond the players, one of the biggest questions facing Argentina concerns Scaloni.
The 48-year-old coach has overseen the most successful period for the Albiceleste since the era of Diego Maradona. Appointed in 2018, Scaloni transformed Argentina into a formidable international side and ended the country’s 28-year wait for a major trophy by guiding them to Copa América glory in 2021.
The team became popularly known in Argentina as the “Scaloneta” under his leadership, going on to add the 2022 World Cup and another Copa América title to their trophy cabinet.
With Messi gone and several key players approaching the twilight of their careers, Argentina now face the difficult task of rebuilding without dismantling the winning culture established during the golden era.
The next phase will require younger players to step forward and eventually fill the enormous void left by Messi, while the Argentine Football Association must also determine whether Scaloni remains the man to lead the team into its next generation.
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