Lionel Messi Leads Argentina Young Guns Into Crucial March World Cup Qualifiers
The defending World Cup and twice over Copa America Champions are approaching a crossroads in the road this month. Lionel Messi is embarking on the final legs of his national team journey. The narrative now will revolve around where and how the torch will be passed to the new generation now that they have arrived to join him against two of Argentina’s eternal rivals. The albiceleste will travel to Uruguay on March 21st and four days later will be home to host Brazil. Success in these two fixtures could ensure that the 2026 World Cup will have the current champions and possibly the greatest player in the game today. If they fail, a major renovation may be in order.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has already anticipated this by calling up 33 players for these two battles. Uruguay was the last team to beat Argentina when Messi was absent and Uruguay outplayed them in Argentina 2-0, snapping a 14-match unbeaten streak since the Saudi Arabia upset in the 2022 World Cup opener. Brazil has been handled by Argentina in recent times, but with the rumored return of Neymar, things may change. The need to reinforce the squad with young emerging talent was something that Scaloni harped on a month back as he is not just meeting the present dangers but trying to build on to the team for its future battles. A champion team cannot sit on its laurels. Argentina has a solid nucleus with Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Julian Alvarez, who scored his 15th goal in 26 Champions League appearances this week, and Emiliano Martinez in goal. These players continue to play well in England and Spain. However, the team has been treading water as of late in the South American World Cup qualifiers, losing games to Colombia and Paraguay, along with a rain-soaked draw against Venezuela late last year before this lengthy break.
Argentina does have Lionel Messi and keeping him healthy was something that Inter Miami was intent on as Messi played a heavy stretch of three games in seven days. Lionel has had to balance an MLS schedule along with regional tournaments like the upcoming CONCACAF Champions League as well as the World Cup qualifiers. The last thing Argentina wants is an injured star for a protracted period. This is where a youth infusion comes in handy. Scaloni has some prize pupils ready to make their mark on the team in the best of ways against the best competition South America has to offer. Lionel Messi is the natural leader who will teach them how to win at this level. What does Lionel have to work with? Actually, quite a lot.
Nicolas Paz of Como in Serie A has been quite the leader of this new pack and a potential number 10. He has the height and size and a dynamic skill set to dominate a game and will benefit Messi greatly as Lionel can be the playmaker to this attack-minded forward. Claudio Echeverri is another who cannot be held back as River Plate learned as he joined Manchester City. One can picture Claudio and Messi in the middle working combinations and feeding Paz in a forward line that contains Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid and Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan in a dream attack.
You even have family with Giuliano Simeone, son of Diego Simeone, former Copa America Champion with Argentina in the late 90s, who is impressing at Atletico Madrid with a relentless workrate as well, and Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United knocking at the door in attack or midfield. Let’s not forget Thiago Almada who won the league title in Brazil as well as the Copa Libertadores with Botafogo and is now with Lyon in France. These are an embarrassment of riches that if cultivated well may usher in a golden generation. As Messi stated recently “Argentina has a lot of great young players,” Messi reflected, “Argentina football is bright.”
Messi remembers very well when he was the future of the Argentine game. He has great pride being part of its legendary football history and adding a World Cup to its legacy. He is quite optimistic about the quality of the young guns coming in but has emphasized the importance of supporting and developing this crop of talent to fill their potential to the fullest. Messi is in the best place to help move this forward as he is now surrounded by arguably the most talented group of Argentine footballers in some time. A World Cup appearance will be secured on their collective talent and Messi’s leading them by example. A passing of the torch may very well be in the making, if any one of them is ready to grasp it, the 2026 World Cup may be the place one emerges as the face of the future for Argentina.
