Argentina after Messi: Romero takes the armband, the No. 10 stays vacant, Nico Paz waits

The 70,000 tickets at the Monumental went in ninety minutes. Against Benin, on Tuesday night into Wednesday, Lionel Messi plays his last match for his country: 207 caps, 125 goals, a retirement announced on 31 August, after the 2026 World Cup final lost to Spain (0-1 aet).

What comes next started without him. Senior players were suspended in its aftermath: Leandro Paredes ten matches, Nahuel Molina seven, Thiago Almada one. On 30 September in Córdoba, Argentina beat Bolivia 4-0 while handing out five first caps at once: Roman Vega, Santiago Simon, Ezequiel Fernandez, Leonel Flores, Valentin Gómez. Lautaro Martínez, Nico Paz, Cristian Romero and José López scored; Burkina Faso took a 7-0 three days later.

Romero wears the armband, the No. 10 waits

The hierarchy has been settled since Lionel Scaloni’s press conference on 29 September: Cristian Romero captain, Emiliano Martínez vice-captain, Lautaro third. Scaloni has brushed aside talk of tiredness, and his contract extension, still under discussion according to L’Équipe, is the only open question. His line for what comes next: “We are not looking for a caudillo, we are looking for positive people.”

The No. 10 stays in the kit room: “we will not hand it over to anyone before Leo’s match”, Scaloni ruled. As for the next holder, nobody has been chosen.

Nico Paz, the one everybody names

At Como, under Cesc Fàbregas, Nico Paz wears 18. Against Bolivia, a goal and an assist at 22 reopened the question of the inheritance. TyC Sports describes him as a 10 in the position of 10; Emiliano Martínez asked “the new No. 10?” on Instagram; Scaloni stays sober: he was at the World Cup, he has a very good level in Europe, and not a word about the number.

A farewell opponent that raises questions

Then there is Benin, 89th in the FIFA ranking, a choice that leaves Argentina puzzled, with no clear explanation from the AFA. “Messi’s confirmation came late and the matches were organised at the last moment”, says Mariano Dayan, director of the daily Olé, who also sees a possible economic dimension. RMC describes a preparation on the edge: a 23-hour flight in economy class, three players missing 72 hours before kick-off. Burkina Faso, stuck in Morocco, had landed five hours before taking that 7-0.

Neither Bolivia nor Burkina Faso offered Argentina a block able to push them back, and nobody knows how this generation will react to its first real shock. On Tuesday night, the Monumental says goodbye to Messi; the succession already has names.