Commentary by Mundo Albiceleste subscriber Dipta Majumder
In some years, we will all look back at the past summer as a magical one. The long days were counted, first to know how many more to go for the World Cup to begin, and then how many to watch the Albiceleste back on the pitch. We all rode an emotional roller coaster in almost every Argentina match.
Amidst all these, a morbid thought crossed my mind, and I guess it crossed many of yours as well — any match in this World Cup could be Messi’s last for the Argentina national team. He was still playing like a dream, like he did 20 years ago in Gelsenkirchen on a warm afternoon. The Germans remember that summer as the “Summer Fairytale,” because the sky was exceptionally blue for weeks. The Argentine fans also remember that summer vividly for a lost opportunity, but little did they know that a fairytale had just begun.
If the Qatar World Cup had taken the lid from the bottle of frustration and fulfilled what we wished since we were little, 2026 gave us moments of profound joy, despite the final’s outcome.
You feel alive in those moments, perhaps at an intense level that you are not used to. Euphoria — is that the right word for this? You do not want to know the word, you only want to feel it when Messi plays like that. There is simply no need to explain.
And now, the thought that made me feel guilty for even thinking about it has come true. The Greatest of All Time decided to whisper, “It is time.”
So a new life has begun for many — a life after Messi. You can still watch him play in MLS and see him slowly fading away into the distance, until he is not there standing on the grass anymore. But how do we go on in this new life? How is this all going to pan out? Nobody knows for sure, so here goes nothing.
This has all happened before. Argentina had said farewell to whom they thought would be the greatest of them all, until the little boy from Rosario arrived and, for many, has now eclipsed the Golden Pibe himself.
Like Messi, Maradona’s exit from the Albiceleste locker room also came after a World Cup in North America. There was no goodbye for Maradona at that moment; that came way later. But after his virtual retirement from national duties, there was this longing for another Maradona to arrive and solve all the issues on the field.
So it began — the search for a “new Maradona.” From Riquelme to Saviola, from Ortega to Aimar — all had to deal with the ghost of Maradona, who never really left the dressing room.
This obsession went on for some time, until Messi arrived. For some, God was reborn.
Argentina has always been a land that generates remarkable footballing talents, and there is no doubt that it will keep producing them. If anything, emerging players like Nico Paz, Mastantuono, Prestianni and Flores are proof of that.
One can simply guess that Argentina will yearn for another Messi in the coming years. The void is simply too big for anyone to fill in the short term. Once things start to go south, there will be chants for their Messiah to return again. Others will be unfairly compared to a level that is simply unattainable and, in all likelihood, never to be replicated again.
But before leaving, Messi has already given a direction to the team and shown what the rest need to do if they want to keep fighting for glory.
Even though we have said our goodbyes to Messi, it is not quite the time for La Scaloneta. In some days, we will probably be seeing La Scaloneta 2.0.
The great thing about La Scaloneta was that the team had a distinctive fighting spirit. In fact, this team was the first to break the Messi-dependencia.
In the USA, the team was not in great shape, but its spirit was at an all-time high. This team was and is like a band of brothers who always back each other up and do whatever it takes. If that spirit is kept alive, this team will fight.
To paraphrase what Lionel Scaloni said a few days ago — now that we do not have the point of difference, the team will have to play more as a unit than ever.
On October 6, 2026, Lionel Messi, in his last match at El Monumental, was looking for a through ball. It was overhit and ran faster than it should on the silky green surface of River’s home.
Messi ran behind it. The old man kept running like his life depended on keeping the ball in play, in a game where he had nothing more to gain. He looked to score just one more, he was angry that he missed a sitter, he was giving directions to the team about what to do, where to go…
If you think about it, it is mind-boggling. This man does not need to do anything on his last day at the office, and yet he does. Why?
If you have observed Messi for years, you know the answer. As Pep Guardiola had put it, he is a competitive animal. This is his true nature. He is a deity among men with an insatiable hunger for more. His desire to compete and win is rare and perhaps incomparable.
His technical abilities are not replicable; his genius surely cannot be copied. One can hope young Argentinians have seen the attitude he has shown and taken notes.
He who has almost always been portrayed as “all natural talent, and not that much hard work” has also left a blueprint on how to play, not only with skills but with a burning desire.
In a life after Messi, the perfect image to remain in public consciousness would probably be from the semifinal against England. You can watch the last few minutes over and over and look closely again at how he never gives up.
I hope this flame can be kept alive in the locker room. A flame in a life after Messi that burns in the players’ and fans’ hearts, that shows you how to give your everything on the pitch and never settle for anything less than glory.
Unfortunately, players like Julio Soler, Garnacho, Buonanotte, Echeverri, Anselmino, Carboni, Nicolas Valentini (formerly of Boca), Tomas Palacios, and others aren’t getting regular playing time. Among those who are playing regularly, some are inconsistent, like Giuliano Simeone, while others, like Lisandro Martínez and Juan Foyth, are constantly injured.
It’s also concerning that Argentina’s backup goalkeepers, Geronimo Rulli and Juan Musso, aren’t getting consistent playing time.
The midfield is perhaps the biggest concern. Argentina lacks a natural enganche, someone who can dictate the tempo, unlock defences, and create chances between the lines. Someone with the qualities of Michael Olise. Nico Paz is fantastic, but I’m not entirely convinced his style is suited to being that traditional playmaker. Meanwhile, Mac Allister and Enzo cannot realistically be expected to play 90 minutes in every game.
With a lack of emerging players consistently performing at the highest level, Scaloni may have little choice but to continue relying on established options like Molina, Montiel, Medina, Accuna, Almada
Olise is hardly an enganche rather a right sided inverted winger as Prestianni on left or Soule. (Vinicius, Saka and a lot more). Olise cannot play in stacked middle zones and cant controll the tempo. Btw the last we need an outdated lazy enganche, no room in modern football for them. Luxury player, a modern attacking midfielder does all.