Wenslus Murape
ARGENTINA face a testing transition period as they attempt to move on from Lionel Messi’s international football retirement, with question marks also hanging over the futures of coach Lionel Scaloni and several ageing players.
Messi vacated the famous number 10 shirt on Monday, after 21 years of carrying Argentinian hopes on his shoulders.
It was a burden that weighed heavily initially, before a golden era late in his career during which the South American giants won three major titles, including the 2022 World Cup.
The 39-year-old’s last competitive match for Argentina was the 1-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup final in July.
Of the 17 players who featured in that match for Scaloni’s side, only two will be under the age of 30 when the next World Cup kicks off in South America in 2030. Veteran centre-back Nicolas Otamendi, 38, retired from international duty in the wake of the loss to Spain in New Jersey, when Argentina were thoroughly outplayed by younger, more vibrant opponents.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has since suggested he may follow suit, as has 32-year-old midfield enforcer Leandro Paredes, who was slapped with a 10-match ban by FIFA for attacking Spain players after the final whistle.
“he (Messi) isn’t there, it will be hard for everything to keep working the way it used to,” Paredes told Argentinian TV channel TN. Rodrigo De Paul’s international career has also been heavily linked with his Inter Miami teammate’s. — AFP Sport.
Online Reporter