Lionel Messi no longer Argentina’s most important player heading into World Cup
Julian Alvarez has been named Argentina’s most important player heading into the World Cup, even if Lionel Messi decides to play.
Football icon Messi has been the national team’s driving force for over 20 years, and was their star man as they won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
But at 38, the upcoming summer showpiece would be his sixth and potentially last appearance at the tournament.
And while Messi remains a key member of Lionel Scaloni’s squad, he is yet to confirm whether will join La Albiceleste’s title defence in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Scaloni recently revealed he is no further forward in learning his talisman’s decision over the summer, but included him in Argentina’s squad for this month’s friendlies against Mauritania and Zambia.
On Saturday, Messi earned his 197th cap as he was brought on at half-time in an underwhelming 2-1 win over Mauritania.
With the match being played at the national stadium La Bombonera, fans called for their captain to commit to an historic sixth World Cup.
Already Argentina’s all-time leading scorer and appearance maker with 115 goals in 196 caps, Messi is just three goals short of equalling Miroslav Klose’s record for the most World Cup goals.
Second fiddle?
South American football expert Tim Vickery has claimed that while Messi would play a central role if he does commit to a sixth World Cup, he may have to accept another star as talisman.
Vickery believes this will be Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez, hailing his all-round game essential to the national team’s success.
Reflecting on the Mauritania win, he told talkSPORT’s Trans Europe Express: “With the Argentine national team, my thoughts watching it were, Julian Alvarez played the first half, and he went off at the interval, and Messi came on.
“The conclusion I came away with is, we are now in a situation where Julian Alvarez is much more important to Argentina than Messi is, which seems very strange.
“But Messi, the whole thing overshadowed it a little bit. We still don’t know if Messi is going to play in the World Cup – this is still an open question.
“The coach, Scaloni, is saying it’s up to Messi – it’s up to him to decide. He has that right, and he hasn’t decided yet.
“So the stadium all want him to do it. It’s a kind of love-in.”
Alvarez has established himself as a key player for Argentina in recent years, and scored four goals in their run to World Cup glory in 2022.
He formed a deadly partnership with Messi in Qatar, with the pair combining for all three goals in a 3-0 semi-final win over Croatia.
And Vickery has insisted Alvarez’s quality on and off the ball will once again be key to getting the best out of Messi in the summer, should he decide to join Argentina’s world title defence.
He continued: “Argentina ruined their second half, really, just trying to tee him up for goals, when they should have been playing normally.
“But I think Messi now makes sense alongside Julian Alvarez.
“You take Julian Alvarez away, and just his all-round talent, and the running that he gets through, I think that’s now essential to open up space and get Messi firing as well.
“So woe betide anything that happens to Julian Alvarez between now and the World Cup.”
Alvarez registered four goals and three assists in Argentina’s World Cup qualifying campaign, while he has 17 goals in all competitions for Atletico Madrid this term, including eight Champions League strikes.
Messi at the 2026 World Cup: What has been said?
Lionel Scaloni revealed in a recent press conference that Messi’s participation in the World Cup remains unconfirmed.
Asked if Messi will feature in the summer, the Argentina boss replied: “That’s a question more for him.
“As far as I’m concerned, you already know where I stand. I’ll do everything I can to make sure he’s there. I believe that, for the sake of football, he has to be there.
“It’s not me who decides. It’s up to him, his state of mind, his physical condition.
“It’s difficult because it is not just the Argentinians who want to see him, everyone wants to see him.
“I want him to be there. It’s up to him to decide. He’s earned the right to make that decision with peace of mind. We’re in no rush about it.
“We know whatever he decides will be best for the team and for him. We hope he will be there.”
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