The presence of Messi gave the Argentine players and fans a feeling of reassurance... something that will be greatly missed in the future
It's not all over yet; Lionel Messi will return next October 6 to play an official farewell match against Benin. But before that, Argentina will play two matches in which they will begin to experience life in the absence of the strongest “savior” football has ever known.
Messi's international career can be divided into two halves. The first half represented the first decade of his career, during which there was a feeling that he did not fit in well with the team, that he was not “Argentinian enough,” or that he did not care about his country’s national team. This was always a ridiculous view, and we can now realize that it was just a reflection of the frustration of the Argentine fans due to the lack of titles and championships, despite the presence of one of the three best players in the history of the game within their attack line.
Then came Messi's decision to retire, driven by a state of sadness and sorrow after missing a penalty kick in the final match of the Copa America in 2016 against Chile. Suddenly, Argentina, instead of being content with harsh criticism of its biggest star, found itself forced to confront the reality of how difficult life would be without him. That prospect was so terrifying that it launched a massive public campaign urging Messi to reverse his decision.
Since then, Messi has enjoyed the love of the fans, and despite his disastrous participation in the 2018 World Cup, he has succeeded in achieving two titles in the 2021 and 2024 Copa Americas, including the 2022 World Cup, in addition to reaching another World Cup final last summer.
Messi has long been dogged by accusations that he did not match Diego Maradona's achievements in the national team, but in the end he achieved more titles.
This retirement will not be undone this time; Messi is 39 years old. Perhaps those who convinced him to change his mind in 2016 were hoping he would last an additional 6 years, but instead he lasted 10 years. There will be no turning back this time; International retirement is a final decision. Argentina will not be able, when things go wrong, to turn to the “superhero” in its ranks and ask him to fix the situation.
The best example of this came in almost the last moments, when Argentina was trailing Egypt by two unanswered goals 11 minutes before the end of their match in the round of 16 of the World Cup. Barcelona's youth team coaches used to talk about the state that afflicts teenage player Messi when he shows signs of anger and determination, after which he becomes an unstoppable force. This is exactly what happened in Atlanta; It seemed as if Messi simply decided that this would not be his last match in the World Cup, so Argentina won without needing extra time.
Optimists will find solace in the fact that Argentina's best performance under Lionel Scaloni may have been a 4-1 win over Brazil in the World Cup qualifiers in March 2025, a match in which Messi did not participate. Even taking into account the strange tactical choices of rival coach Dorival Junior, Argentina produced an exceptional performance. Leandro Paredes set the tone in midfield, while Alexis McAllister and Enzo Fernandez formed an amazing collaboration with Rodrigo de Paul and Thiago Almada on the flanks, with Julián Alvarez in the center of the spearhead.
But football is not just about the times when things are going well. Even in difficult times - the years of doubt under Edgardo Bauza and Jorge Sampaoli, when matches were spiraling out of control - there was always the possibility that Messi could turn things around. Now, Argentina must deal with a future that lacks that trump card that can decide matters.
Scaloni believes that the international friendly match against Benin on October 6 in Buenos Aires will give Messi an opportunity “to bid farewell to the fans in the way he wants.”
“It will be hard not to cry that day,” he explained. “It is a privilege to be there.”
Messi, who won the Ballon d'Or eight times, announced in late August his international retirement at the age of 39, but he was summoned by Scaloni to play this farewell match.
The coach explained that he wanted to put “a brick in this building” in order to hold a final meeting for the great star in front of the Argentine fans.
He added: “I contributed my part because I wanted to be present at his farewell party.” “Since I don’t know if I will stay here in the future, we did everything we could so that he could participate in this match.” Scaloni also believed that the Inter Miami striker, who in early September scored his 100th goal with the American club, deserves to win the “Golden Ball” award again, which will be announced before the end of next month, if it comes to rewarding the best player.
Tickets for Messi's farewell match with his country (80,000 tickets) were easily sold out. Claudio Tapia, President of the Argentine Football Association, said: “All the players who were on the team list that won the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and their families were also invited to attend (the last tango for the best player in the world).”
Messi has 207 international matches and 125 goals to his credit, and both numbers represent a record achievement for the Argentine national team.
Adidas is preparing to prepare a special shirt for Messi in the farewell match, which will carry a custom logo in the shape of the letter “M” instead of the company’s logo in its usual place. The design also includes golden details on the team’s logo and the shirt number.
Messi is also scheduled to wear custom shoes for the match, predominantly white with black and blue details and golden touches.
The “post-Messi” era begins with the confrontations between Bolivia and Burkina Faso this weekend. Coach Lionel Scaloni has hinted that he will sign a new contract extending until the Copa America tournament in 2028, with the option of extending it to include the 2030 World Cup. Although this will provide a degree of stability, it cannot hide the fact that a new cycle has begun, just as Scaloni established a new era after the “2018 World Cup.”
With the exception of Messi and Nicolas Otamendi, who will retire after the farewell match against Benin, Scaloni’s list included 35 players, 20 of whom had participated in the last World Cup. In light of the absence of Paredes and Nahuel Molina due to long suspensions, which is an indication of remarkable continuity, although it is understood that Nicolas Tagliafico (34 years old) is also studying the possibility of retiring from international football. However, 12 players on the list have played 3 or fewer international matches, and De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso, who are over 30 years old, will only participate in the Benin match; This gives the new group a chance to prove its worth in the first two friendly matches.
It seems that the greatest opportunities, in the short term at least, lie in the defense line. Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez (both 28 years old) are likely to form the starting centre-back pairing, while Valentin Gomez (Real Betis player) and Tomas Palacios (loaned from Inter Milan to Estudiantes) will compete for the substitute role.
However, with Molina suspended, Tagliafico aging and Gonzalo Montiel injured, the real interest is in the two full-back positions, where both 22-year-olds could establish themselves as options for the future; They are: Agustin Gueye (Brazilian Palmeiras player) and Roman Vega (Russian Zenit player).
In Messi's absence, the issue of the tactical plan remains on the table. Although the Brazil match showed what can be achieved by exchanging positions even in the absence of a great deal of individual creativity, Scaloni may choose to rely on two traditional wingers. Here there are also young options, such as Lionel Flores (Boca Juniors player) and Roma player Matias Sule, who may play their first international match in the next few days.
Scaloni chose defender Cristian Romero to be the new captain of the Argentine national team after Messi retired from international football. Regarding this, he said: “The leader will be Romero. He was already the third captain after Messi and Nicolas Otamendi. Emiliano Martinez can also wear the captain’s armband, as can Rodrigo De Paul, and so can Lautaro Martinez.”
Romero, 28 years old, has previously worn the Argentina captaincy three times, during the 1-0 victory over Chile in the 2025 World Cup qualifiers, and in a friendly match against Venezuela in the same year, and then against Mauritania before the 2026 World Cup.
As for the issue of Messi's compensation? This is impossible; Whether it was on a tactical level, or - and perhaps this is more important - on what he represented for the spirit of the team. This does not mean that Argentina needs Messi to perform well; Some might even argue that Argentina played in that match against Brazil at a level higher than it would have been with Messi (or at least at Messi's modest level recently). This is due to his lack of movement and the nature of the game, which forced the entire plan to be built around him.
This is always the risk associated with players who rely on individual skill, but Messi enjoyed such amazing consistency in his level that the most logical and safest option was to rely on his exceptional genius, whose true beauty lies in the possibility of always relying on it.
No matter how organized the opponent's defense was, there was still the possibility - and even a great possibility - that Messi would find an opening. No matter how bad things got, there was still a chance that he would rise up and resolve the situation on his own.
Many teams have gained a new fluidity and dynamism that relies more on teamwork after the departure of a major star. Although the ceiling of Argentina's ambitions may rise in theory, Messi provided a feeling of reassurance and hope for salvation, something that Argentina will miss greatly during the coming period.
