Lionel Messi's Argentina Farewell: A New Era Begins
Lionel Messi is edging towards the end of his glittering Argentina career, and the reality is starting to bite inside the world champions’ dressing room.
At 39, the captain will walk away as his country’s record appearance holder and record goalscorer: 207 caps, 125 goals, a World Cup lifted in 2022. Those numbers are daunting enough. The void behind them is even bigger.
Alexis Mac Allister can already feel it.
“There will never be another like him”
Speaking to ESPN, the midfielder didn’t bother searching for new adjectives. There aren’t any left.
“The words for Messi are always the same: gratitude, and the realisation that there will never be another like him,” he said, summing up the mood of a squad that has built its identity around its No.10. “We’ve enjoyed our time with him immensely. We’re also grateful to him for everything he’s helped us win. It’s sure to be a very emotional occasion.”
Argentina know what life with Messi looks like: trophies, finals, a generation defined. Life after Messi is the unknown.
Mac Allister didn’t try to dress that up either. The romance of the farewell will quickly give way to cold tactical reality.
“It will be a different process with new players coming in,” he explained. “We need to start realising that the best player in the world, the one who made all the difference, won’t be there anymore, and that we’ll have to grow stronger as a team.”
No more automatic out-ball to the genius. No more safety net when games turn frantic. The structure will have to change, the responsibility shared. Argentina’s next era won’t be about finding “the new Messi”. It will be about surviving without one.
Ballon d’Or backing from within the camp
Before the curtain finally comes down, one more individual accolade could still land at Messi’s feet.
Asked about his captain’s chances of another Ballon d’Or, Mac Allister didn’t hesitate.
“As Argentines we’d love for Messi to win it. He had an incredible World Cup and I don’t see why he shouldn’t be awarded it,” he said. For the squad, the debate feels simple: the biggest stage, the biggest performances.
But Mac Allister also underlined what has defined Messi inside that dressing room for two decades.
“We all know that Leo has always prioritised the team over individual achievements, so it wouldn’t be a big deal for him,” he added.
For Argentina, though, it would be another line in the legend’s story just as the final chapter approaches.
Club uncertainty for Mac Allister
While he prepares for a future without Messi in sky blue and white, Mac Allister is also wrestling with uncertainty in red.
The midfielder has already admitted he felt disappointed that Liverpool did not move to extend his contract, particularly after Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai secured new deals at Anfield. The message was clear: others had been tied down. He had not.
He chose to stay put in the summer despite chances to leave, but his long-term path remains open.
“There’s no firm decision yet. I still have two years left on my contract,” he said. “As I said, I’m going to give it my all. A lot can happen in that time; there are plenty of options.”
The ambiguity over his future sits in stark contrast to how he feels about his current surroundings.
“Hopefully it’ll be for more years, but if it’s just two, I’ll have to enjoy them with my family, because I have no doubt that I’m at one of the best clubs in the world.”
So Mac Allister stands at a crossroads on two fronts: watching a once-in-a-lifetime teammate edge towards the exit with Argentina, while his own story at Liverpool hangs in the balance. One era is ending. The other, he knows, could yet twist in any direction.
