Argentina's coach selects two rising stars to replace Messi

Following the victory over Puerto Rico, coach Lionel Scaloni highlighted two exceptionally important talents for Argentina's national team in the near future.

Argentina wrapped up the October FIFA Days campaign with a six-goal triumph in a friendly match against Puerto Rico.

During the 90 minutes at Chase Stadium, home of Inter Miami, captain Lionel Messi demonstrated his influence on La Albiceleste’s play by providing two assists. After the match, coach Lionel Scaloni praised his player’s "perfect" performance.

Specifically, the 47-year-old coach said: "Yesterday I asked Messi if he was ready to play, and he said yes. For us, having Messi on the field is always a joy. Last week, he trained fully with the team, and we decided not to use him in the match against Venezuela. Today, Messi was able to return to play. Both he and Rodrigo (De Paul) felt like they were back home."

Messi has turned 38 and is likely to conclude his national team journey at the 2026 World Cup. El Pulga’s departure will certainly create concerns for La Albiceleste’s lineup, but coach Scaloni reassured fans by naming two stars who could partly take on Messi’s role.

He stated: "Mastantuono and Nico Paz are very important players for us. Both are left-footed and play similar positions, although each has a distinct style. We are still experimenting and giving opportunities to young players.

Currently, they might not yet have starting spots, but the goal is to help them gain match experience. I believe that in the future, both can definitely appear together in the lineup."

Nico Paz and Mastantuono are considered two "number 10" talents who could reach top-level status in the future.

Nico Paz made his national team debut in Argentina’s 6-0 win over Bolivia last October. The 2004-born star even received praise from Messi himself for his composed playing style and confident ball control.

Meanwhile, Mastantuono has shown remarkable development since debuting for La Albiceleste in June. The Real Madrid player had the honor of wearing Messi’s number 10 jersey for the national team in the World Cup 2026 qualifier against Ecuador, demonstrating his readiness to succeed the veteran and carry important responsibilities in future campaigns.

As for Argentina, after securing qualification for the 2026 World Cup, coach Lionel Scaloni’s squad will play several friendlies and the Intercontinental Super Cup (Finalissima) against Spain before officially starting their title defense in North America next summer.

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