Lionel Messi definitely closed the Argentine chapter of his career. His departure now leaves a huge void in a selection that will have to learn to evolve without his iconic number 10.
The Monumental offered Lionel Messi an exit to match his history. On Tuesday night, Argentina dominated Benin 3-0 ahead of more than 85,000 supporters. For his last match with the Albiceleste, the Argentine captain scored a last starring performance with a penalty goal and two assists.
This evening will remain less like a simple victory than the beginning of a new period. For 21 years, Argentina built much of its identity around Messi. Now Lionel Scaloni has to prepare his team to operate without the one who has long represented his main offensive weapon.
Messi doesn't just leave a armband
The departure of the captain does not only mean that another player will have to recover the armband. Argentina mainly loses a footballer able to switch a match on an action.
Messi could create, accelerate, serve its partners and complete the actions. Its presence also forced opponents to adapt their game plan. Even when the Argentine collective encountered difficulties, number 10 could find an individual solution;Its influence therefore far exceeds its statistics.
Its balance with Albiceleste is however sufficient to measure the extent of the vacuum. Messi leaves the selection with 208 appearances and 126 goals. He also led Argentina to Copa America 2021, World Cup 2022 and Copa America 2024.
A new generation must take over
However, Argentina has enough talent to open a new chapter;Nico Paz has already shown his ability to project into offensive spaces. Against Benin, he scored the second Argentine goal after a Messi. pass;
Franco Mastantuono also represents one of the figures of the new generation. Lautaro Martínez, Julián Álvarez, Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister will also have to assume more responsibilities.
But none of them has a vocation to become "the new Messi".
Instead, Argentina will have to distribute among several players the responsibilities that its captain assumed almost alone. The game could thus become more collective, with several sources of creation and danger.
This is also a new challenge for Scaloni. The breeder must now retain the identity that allowed Argentina to win the greatest trophies while building a team that could exist without its iconic player.
After Messi starts now
Timing makes this transition even more special. Argentina comes out of an exceptional period, marked by several major titles and a constant presence at the top of world football.
The selection must now turn the page without deleting what was built;Messi spent more than two decades with Albiceleste. He leaves as the most caped player and the best scorer in his history. His last evening at the Monumental, with a goal and two decisive passes, thus resembles a last gift offered to an audience who waited a long time before adopting him permanently.
The suite now belongs to a new generation;Argentina will not have to find another Messi. She'll have to find a new way to win without him.
