⚽ FIFA World Cup 2030: Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay ⚽

[bastisisca]

You're right, nobody expects Nico Paz or Thiago Almada to step in and produce Messi numbers immediately, that would be unrealistic.
The reality now is that Argentina will have to adapt its entire system. Instead of relying on one individual to carry the creative load, the responsibility has to be shared across the entire midfield and forward line. Paz and Almada both have huge potential but the team's success moving forward will depend on collective teamwork rather than expecting a single young player to step into Messi's shoes. At least for now.

If Nico Paz were to take Messi's place and the comparison was made for him, he would feel that pressure immensely. Aware of the fact that Messi is his idol, he would in no way want to be compared to his idol, because he knows that he would be unattainable. However, i consider Nico Paz a player with incredible qualities and who can certainly do excellent things with the national team. Would be nice if my Inter buy it.

[Italian Panic]

If Nico Paz were to take Messi's place and the comparison was made for him, he would feel that pressure immensely. Aware of the fact that Messi is his idol, he would in no way want to be compared to his idol, because he knows that he would be unattainable. However, i consider Nico Paz a player with incredible qualities and who can certainly do excellent things with the national team. Would be nice if my Inter buy it.

Let’s take it slowly; taking over from Messi won’t be easy or a foregone conclusion. In fact, even Dybala despite his impressive stats and technical ability for the national team has made no real impact precisely because he’s been overshadowed by Messi. In my view, both Nico Paz and Mastantuono and Prestianni could be in contention for the new number 10 shirt, but not to replace Messi.
Then again, you know how these things work someone completely unknown could come along and, within a few years, produce some mind-boggling statistics; that’s the beauty of football.

[giorgione]

It seems you don't know who is best amongst the rest. Messi isn't just the best in Argentina, he is the best in the world GOAT. Can you point out a player in Argentina current team that has achieved half of what Mesii have achieved in football. Messi is like 3 in 1 player. Argentina must feel the heat take it or leave it.

Messi is obviously one of the GOATs, which is why Argentina will never find a worthy replacement and, in my opinion, they should focus on changing the game system and their module, so that the team can find the best way to play even without their number 10 and nostalgic captain.

[banana33]

Actually Messi was the best player in the Argentina team because you can see from his performance and statistics that he was more experienced than other players. The point is that he was the best playmaker in the Argentina team and he won many awards for his skills so I think Argentina may not find the right player to replace him.

However it is a matter of which player can properly fulfill the responsibility that Messi played in this team because we can say the Argentina team has talented players but they will not be able to perform at the same level as Messi. Another thing you should note is that Messi has become the best player in Argentina and Barcelona, that is, he has tried to perform great in every match with his skills and has made the most assists in history but it is right now that this team needs to be well organized and this team will need a good quality player so that they can perform great in every match.

It is useless to make comparisons between Messi and other players, because he was Argentina's best player due to his unnatural talent in taking free kicks, providing assists, seeing the game and a thousand other characteristics. He was and has been one of the strongest players in the world for Argentina and it is unthinkable to really believe that a replacement like him can be found.

[kennycryptoitalia]

What's happening in Africa is what many teams around the world suffer from: a lack of support. It's not easy. If an investor wants to invest in football, the best option is to invest in Europe, but in African countries, the only way is for their own famous players to invest and encourage others to do so.

It's not so easy to succeed when there's no support. There's a lot of talent in Africa, just like in many other countries, and the lack of support is crucial.

In this World Cup, the team I liked the most was Cape Verde. They were the best-performing country in Africa, and what they did left a good impression of the continent.

Obviously, since the most important football is played in Europe, it is difficult to think that an investor in Africa would decide to invest in the African leagues, because all the players from there want to go where the football that counts is. And until Africa starts thinking that way, players will continue to follow the flow of money and the bigger game.

[martinom]

I don't think Argentina will find a player who can replace Messi. The era of Messi in Argentina is over, and this is a new beginning. I believe Argentina should focus on improving the team rather than looking for someone to replace Messi.

Attempting to replace Messi could set the team back, and if the person they are looking to as a replacement does not meet expectations, it could create problems for both the team and the fans. Let there be a new beginning for Argentina, and the team is already fortunate to have experienced players who are good, which I believe will help the team do well again.

I think it's not the term i would use because it indicates a possibility. And instead there is the absolute certainty that Argentina will never find a worthy replacement for Messi, but not because it doesn't have strong players, but simply because Messi is a player of a completely different category from all the others.
So it's not to blame Argentina or the national team, but simply because it's one case in a billion.

[cande86]

My point is simply that when a team takes the field with eleven players, each of them excels in their respective position; Messi alone can never fulfill the roles of all eleven players. Each player is outstanding in their own right—though, of course, we must all acknowledge that Messi is a world-class player and the Argentina team will never find another player quite like him.

That's not the only thing that can be said regarding Messi.
For Argentina, Messi represents a hope, a belief, the possibility of bringing the national team to its former glory, which he managed to do by actually winning a World Cup and reaching the final of the second consecutive one.

[Die_empty]

My point is simply that when a team takes the field with eleven players, each of them excels in their respective position; Messi alone can never fulfill the roles of all eleven players. Each player is outstanding in their own right—though, of course, we must all acknowledge that Messi is a world-class player and the Argentina team will never find another player quite like him.

Messi offered Argentina more than just playing football. He was a leader, motivator, inspiration, and protector of the national team.

As the captain, he ensured that they got favorable decisions from match officials. He also used his influence to manipulate referees.

Just like Diego Maradona, Messi motivated both young and experienced players to give their best.

As it stands now, no player on the team can replace him. We still have to acknowledge that no player is irreplaceable, but we don't know when Argentina can develop a replacement.

[HustleZ]

If Nico Paz were to take Messi's place and the comparison was made for him, he would feel that pressure immensely. Aware of the fact that Messi is his idol, he would in no way want to be compared to his idol, because he knows that he would be unattainable. However, i consider Nico Paz a player with incredible qualities and who can certainly do excellent things with the national team. Would be nice if my Inter buy it.

His comparison with a player like messi might put pressure on him because any mistake or any performance that wasnt near the level of messiw would br criticised and i think that these comparisons have destroyed many talented and high-potential players so imo these comparisons shouldn’t be done. Nico paz is young and he should be let free in doing what he is comfortable in, making him comfortable is really important right now and this comfort will come when argentine fans will support them

[Muba20]

What's happening in Africa is what many teams around the world suffer from: a lack of support. It's not easy. If an investor wants to invest in football, the best option is to invest in Europe, but in African countries, the only way is for their own famous players to invest and encourage others to do so.

It's not so easy to succeed when there's no support. There's a lot of talent in Africa, just like in many other countries, and the lack of support is crucial.

In this World Cup, the team I liked the most was Cape Verde. They were the best-performing country in Africa, and what they did left a good impression of the continent.

Obviously, since the most important football is played in Europe, it is difficult to think that an investor in Africa would decide to invest in the African leagues, because all the players from there want to go where the football that counts is. And until Africa starts thinking that way, players will continue to follow the flow of money and the bigger game.

There are many talented players in Africa but they do not built trust in African football, It does not matter how well they play, their main goal is European football. If investment in football could be increased in Africa and if everyone had confidence there, Africa could have made a lot of progress in football. Those who are interested in investing also later back down because they have fear. To get rid of this situation, it is necessary to turn the country's football into an industry. If the country's football-fans, government and the concerned individuals love football, then good footballers will be produced in Africa. In reality, if a footballer gets 10 times more in Europe than in his own country, then he will try to move in that direction. There is no strong infrastructure for football in Africa, which is why they try to turn to Europe after realizing the potential in the field in advance.

[Charcol]

My point is simply that when a team takes the field with eleven players, each of them excels in their respective position; Messi alone can never fulfill the roles of all eleven players. Each player is outstanding in their own right—though, of course, we must all acknowledge that Messi is a world-class player and the Argentina team will never find another player quite like him.

That's not the only thing that can be said regarding Messi.
For Argentina, Messi represents a hope, a belief, the possibility of bringing the national team to its former glory, which he managed to do by actually winning a World Cup and reaching the final of the second consecutive one.

Messi is one of the most important figures of the last decade. Let's not just look at him as a player. Despite the talent that Argentina has, they have not been able to win major tournaments for a few years. But Messi has changed that bad situation. The 2021 Copa America, 2022 Finalissima and 2022 FIFA World Cup victories have changed the mentality of Argentina football by not only winning trophies.

Messi has not only contributed to Argentina with goals or assists, but at the same time he has given Argentina back the belief that they can be the best in the world again.

[Big Dirams]

If Nico Paz were to take Messi's place and the comparison was made for him, he would feel that pressure immensely. Aware of the fact that Messi is his idol, he would in no way want to be compared to his idol, because he knows that he would be unattainable. However, i consider Nico Paz a player with incredible qualities and who can certainly do excellent things with the national team. Would be nice if my Inter buy it.

His comparison with a player like messi might put pressure on him because any mistake or any performance that wasnt near the level of messiw would br criticised and i think that these comparisons have destroyed many talented and high-potential players so imo these comparisons shouldn’t be done. Nico paz is young and he should be let free in doing what he is comfortable in, making him comfortable is really important right now and this comfort will come when argentine fans will support them

Players being compared with great players like Messi/Ronaldo especially at a very young age can have a negative effect on their performance which can also results to them not being able to reach their full potential. There is definitely a lot of pressure when compared to Messi, I usually don't like it when fans start that comparison because sometimes it doesn't usually end well. Nico paz is still very young, he still has a lot to learn and a lot of experiences to pick up along the line. Despite Nico paz quality I don't think he has enough talent to be compared with Messi, it's a disrespect to Messi's name Imo.

[Cryptoprincess101]

Let’s take it slowly; taking over from Messi won’t be easy or a foregone conclusion. In fact, even Dybala despite his impressive stats and technical ability for the national team has made no real impact precisely because he’s been overshadowed by Messi. In my view, both Nico Paz and Mastantuono and Prestianni could be in contention for the new number 10 shirt, but not to replace Messi.
Then again, you know how these things work someone completely unknown could come along and, within a few years, produce some mind-boggling statistics; that’s the beauty of football.

Sure, another football genuis can still come out from Argentina because Lionel Messi is not the first Argentine player with so much decorations. Diego Maradona is one name that gave Argentina prestige and honour until Lionel Messi era began. Now that Lionel Messi era has ended, another player from Argentina will be reproduced even if he won't come close to the excellence of Lionel Messi. It doesn't matter who takes the number 10 shirt but who will continue with the legacy that Messi kept at Argentina. I even think that a player from Argentina who will likely continue Messi' pathway is not yet playing in the Argentina squad because I haven't really seen anyone in Argentina current squad that can take the mantle.

[Audrey Simmons]

His comparison with a player like messi might put pressure on him because any mistake or any performance that wasnt near the level of messiw would br criticised and i think that these comparisons have destroyed many talented and high-potential players so imo these comparisons shouldn’t be done. Nico paz is young and he should be let free in doing what he is comfortable in, making him comfortable is really important right now and this comfort will come when argentine fans will support them

No other Messi, any player replacing Messi in that position is creating his own history with the Argentine club and not attempting to continue from where Messi stopped, nobody can do it like Messi, I would rather be a bit selfish to say that no Argentinian in this present generation can ever do it better than Messi.

Let the young star perform without any comparison, he still has a lot to do in his career, putting him under comparison and expecting a similar result to what the best in the world of football does is demanding more than he can contribute to the club.

There will also be no other Ronaldo for Portugal, same with Messi, we might not see any better player than them again.

[Iamgoat]

Messi is obviously one of the GOATs, which is why Argentina will never find a worthy replacement and, in my opinion, they should focus on changing the game system and their module, so that the team can find the best way to play even without their number 10 and nostalgic captain.

All I know for sure is the fact Argentina squad will miss Messi for a long period of time because having the kinds of Messi at this age especially in the team was such a blessing which was enjoyed by them. It will take a long time before they can get such resource like him. Who is going to take over number 10 from the team now is one thing I’m also looking forward to see.

[danadc]

Evidentemente, dado que el fútbol más importante se juega en Europa, es difícil pensar que un inversor en África decida invertir en las ligas africanas, porque todos los jugadores de allí quieren ir donde está el fútbol que cuenta. Y hasta que África empiece a pensar de esa manera, los jugadores seguirán el flujo de dinero y el juego más amplio.

Tienes razón, por eso es más difícil para africanos y sudamericanos llegar al fútbol de primer nivel, a pesar de que han surgido algunas estrellas muy grandes. Aun así, la meca de todo está en Europa. Entonces, para ser futbolista y tener suerte, prácticamente hay que ser político, o tener un agente con conexiones ilimitadas. Es difícil para alguien sin muchos recursos, porque así se han perdido muchos. Como no triunfan en el fútbol, ​​caen en las drogas, el alcoholismo y otras cosas.

[uneng]

All I know for sure is the fact Argentina squad will miss Messi for a long period of time because having the kinds of Messi at this age especially in the team was such a blessing which was enjoyed by them. It will take a long time before they can get such resource like him. Who is going to take over number 10 from the team now is one thing I’m also looking forward to see.

The difficult in replacing Messi is that he wasn't responsible for a single function in the team. He was responsible for different functions, like scoring, creating the plays, crossing the ball across the field and giving assistance to fellow players. Messi is a complete player and that is something hard to find in the market. The national team will have to change another characteristics and aspects of it in order to adapt themselves to a team without Messi.

Someone will indeed wear the number 10 shirt, but this new number 10 isn't going to be like Messi, and that must be what most concerns the coach, the players and the fans.

[Ale88]

Messi's playing place may be taken by someone else, while many are saying the name of Nico Pas. But it is doubtful whether anyone else will be able to do the contributions that Messi used to make for the match in the future. Messi used to take the team forward through various contributions including chance creation, assists , dribbling, goal scoring and game control in a match. So it is not realistic to expect such expectations from a young player in the beginning. However, Thiago Almada's name has also come up as Messi's replacement. He is also a good enough player. When the next Argentina match , maybe we will see who is playing in Messi's place. Since Messi will not be there in the next matches. So, the forwards and midfielders should contribute together so that they can be responsible like Messi.

Let's be real: Argentina has no player that, currently, is able to do half of what Messi did. Argentina had an incredible easy path during the last World Cup and yet they heavily relied on a 39-year-old Messi to basically score 80% of the goals. Thiago Almada had a very mediocre career until now considering the expectations we all had on him. Nico Paz is improving a lot but I don't think he'll ever be a real star. Very good player for sure. Let's see.

[Daniel91]

Messi's playing place may be taken by someone else, while many are saying the name of Nico Pas. But it is doubtful whether anyone else will be able to do the contributions that Messi used to make for the match in the future. Messi used to take the team forward through various contributions including chance creation, assists , dribbling, goal scoring and game control in a match. So it is not realistic to expect such expectations from a young player in the beginning. However, Thiago Almada's name has also come up as Messi's replacement. He is also a good enough player. When the next Argentina match , maybe we will see who is playing in Messi's place. Since Messi will not be there in the next matches. So, the forwards and midfielders should contribute together so that they can be responsible like Messi.

Let's be real: Argentina has no player that, currently, is able to do half of what Messi did. Argentina had an incredible easy path during the last World Cup and yet they heavily relied on a 39-year-old Messi to basically score 80% of the goals. Thiago Almada had a very mediocre career until now considering the expectations we all had on him. Nico Paz is improving a lot but I don't think he'll ever be a real star. Very good player for sure. Let's see.

I can agree with you.
All of Argentina's successes in the last 12 years are solely linked to Messi, including 3 World Cup finals in 2014, 2022 and 2026, 1 title in 2026 and 2 South American championship titles, Copa América, 2021 and 2024.
Now it seems like a curiosity that Messi, after the failure at the 2018 World Cup, announced his retirement from the national team because he no longer believed that he could win a trophy with Argentina, unlike the numerous club trophies with Barcelona at that time.
Fortunately for Argentina fans, Messi changed his mind and in his advanced years led the Argentina team to the greatest successes in modern history.
However, you are right, Argentina no longer has a player like Messi, a football genius and a magician, and I think they will suffer the fate of Brazil, a team that always comes to the World Cup with the expectation of winning the title but always gets knocked out early. In the next period, the next 2 -3 World Cups, I expect the dominance of European teams, primarily Spain and France.

[changaa]

And I think that with Messi getting older, the Argentina team also knew that  and he would retire very soon. So they may have already adjusted without Messi. Now all that remains to be seen is performance. Argentina has become a fairly balanced team in the last few years. Still, it is not possible to fill Messi's place with just one player. But if those who will play as a forwarder of Argentina are more responsible, then maybe they will be able to score goals to win their matches against strong teams even in Messi's absence.

The Argentine national team has the duty to demonstrate to their country that even without Messi the country must root for them. i think that Argentina without Messi can somehow find its core in team play. Obviously not having Messi and that certainty on the pitch doesn't help morale, but unfortunately they can't do otherwise.