Argentina's next 10 years without Lionel Messi: Who replaces him and what happens next?

Lionel Messi's bonzer Argentina vocation volition travel to an extremity connected Tuesday 6th October, with the legendary magician acceptable to marque his final quality for his state against Benin.

After lifting the 2021 and 2024 Copa America, arsenic good arsenic the 2022 World Cup, Messi leaves down an Argentina broadside that has enjoyed an bonzer play of success, but determination is present 1 evident question: who comes next?

Argentina's aureate epoch whitethorn beryllium ending, but determination is plentifulness of grounds to suggest La Albiceleste tin stay among planetary football's elite for years to come.

Sports Mole takes a look astatine however the adjacent 10 years could look below.

Who tin regenerate Lionel Messi for Argentina?

There volition beryllium nary nonstop replacement for Messi, nor should determination beryllium immoderate effort to find one.

Instead, Argentina are apt to dispersed the originative load crossed a caller generation, with Como 1907 playmaker Nico Paz emerging arsenic the astir evident campaigner to inherit the iconic fig 10 role.

Paz has the method prime and imaginativeness to go Argentina's main creator, portion Franco Mastantuono offers a much nonstop and explosive alternative.

The brace could yet signifier 1 of the astir breathtaking attacking partnerships successful planetary football, with Paz operating arsenic the main playmaker and Mastantuono providing unpredictability from wider areas.

Then determination is the tried-and-tested Julian Alvarez, who could go the look of Argentina's onslaught arsenic the adjacent procreation settles in. The Atletico Madrid guardant is improbable to replicate Messi's influence, but his enactment rate, question and goalscoring quality should marque him 1 of the team's elder figures for the adjacent large tourney cycle.

Lautaro Martinez could besides supply an important span during the archetypal transition, though astatine 29 helium is improbable to beryllium portion of Argentina's semipermanent core. Claudio Echeverri, meanwhile, remains a wildcard aft an inconsistent commencement to his elder career.

By 2030, Argentina could truthful person a squad built astir Paz, Mastantuono, Alvarez alternatively than 1 revolving astir a azygous superstar.

Predicting Argentina's adjacent 4 large tournaments

The archetypal large trial of the post-Messi epoch should travel astatine the 2028 Copa America, and Argentina are susceptible of making an contiguous statement.

With Paz and Mastantuono apt approaching their premier and Alvarez established arsenic a elder attacking threat, the Albiceleste could spell each the way.

Argentina could inactive triumph the 2028 Copa America without the nation's hero, with Paz perchance emerging arsenic the tournament's standout originative player.

The 2030 World Cup should supply an adjacent clearer denotation of whether Argentina tin genuinely stay a superpower without Messi.

With the contention being staged crossed Spain, Portugal and Morocco, alongside centenary matches successful South America, determination volition beryllium an added consciousness of occasion.

Argentina whitethorn not rather person capable to triumph it, but a tally to the semi-finals feels realistic. By then, Paz should beryllium 26, Mastantuono 23 and Alvarez 30, giving Lionel Scaloni - oregon whoever succeeds him - an elite halfway to enactment with.

The modulation whitethorn go much hard astatine the 2032 Copa America, wherever Argentina could autumn abbreviated astatine the semi-final signifier arsenic different procreation begins pushing through.

By the 2034 World Cup successful Saudi Arabia, the likes of Paz, Mastantuono and Alvarez volition beryllium older, portion the squad could beryllium undergoing different rebuild. A quarter-final exit would correspond a flimsy decline, but hardly a crisis.

Argentina's post-Messi outlook

They whitethorn ne'er again person a subordinate susceptible of dominating matches and defining an epoch successful the mode Messi did, but that does not mean their aureate play has to extremity with his retirement.

Argentina's top spot could alternatively go their extent of talent, beardown footballing individuality and quality to continuously nutrient technically talented players.

By October 2036, Messi volition person been retired from planetary shot for a decade, and Argentina whitethorn yet beryllium judged connected their ain presumption alternatively than successful examination with him.

Winning different Copa America and reaching the second stages of a World Cup whitethorn not lucifer the bonzer heights of the Messi era, but it would inactive marque Argentina 1 of the world's astir consistently competitory nationalist teams.