Lionel Messi's Imminent Farewell: Argentina's Unfillable Void
Lionel Messi is edging towards the end. Not of a season, or a cycle, but of one of the greatest international careers football has ever seen – and Argentina know the void he leaves cannot truly be filled.
At 39, the captain will walk away as his country’s record appearance maker and record goalscorer, with 125 goals in 207 caps for the 2022 World Cup winners. Those numbers are cold. The feeling around them is anything but.
Alexis Mac Allister can see what’s coming, and he doesn’t try to dress it up.
“There will never be another like him”
Speaking to ESPN, the Liverpool midfielder laid bare the scale of what Argentina are about to lose.
“The words for Messi are always the same: gratitude, and the realisation that there will never be another like him,” he said. “We’ve enjoyed our time with him immensely. We’re also grateful to him for everything he’s helped us win. It’s sure to be a very emotional occasion.”
The squad know the farewell will hit hard. This is not just the exit of a captain. It is the departure of the player who changed the ceiling of the national team, the man who finally dragged the Albiceleste to a World Cup title in Qatar and completed a journey that began in 2005.
Mac Allister is under no illusions: Argentina cannot simply swap in a replacement and carry on as before.
“It will be a different process with new players coming in,” he explained. “We need to start realising that the best player in the world, the one who made all the difference, won’t be there anymore, and that we’ll have to grow stronger as a team.”
That is the challenge now. Less reliance on one genius, more collective responsibility. A tactical reset, but also a psychological one.
Ballon d’Or backing for a national icon
Even as the conversation turns to the future, Messi’s present still dominates awards talk. Asked about his captain’s chances of adding another Ballon d’Or, Mac Allister didn’t hesitate.
“As Argentines we’d love for Messi to win it. He had an incredible World Cup and I don’t see why he shouldn’t be awarded it,” he said. “We all know that Leo has always prioritised the team over individual achievements, so it wouldn’t be a big deal for him.”
For the dressing room, though, it would be another symbol of an era defined by his left foot and their shared success.
Club uncertainty amid Anfield admiration
Away from the national team, Mac Allister’s own future looks far less settled.
The midfielder has already admitted frustration that Liverpool have not moved to extend his contract, particularly after fellow midfielders Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai secured new deals. The contrast has not gone unnoticed.
Despite interest elsewhere and chances to leave Anfield in the summer, he chose to stay. Commitment, yes. Clarity, no.
“There’s no firm decision yet. I still have two years left on my contract,” he said. “As I said, I’m going to give it my all. A lot can happen in that time; there are plenty of options.”
For now, he leans on what he does know: he is happy where he is, and he understands the size of the club he represents.
“Hopefully it’ll be for more years, but if it’s just two, I’ll have to enjoy them with my family, because I have no doubt that I’m at one of the best clubs in the world.”
Argentina, then, are bracing for life after Messi. Mac Allister is bracing for whatever comes after his current Liverpool deal. One era is closing on a legend; another, for a midfielder in his prime, is waiting to be written.
