Cristian Romero Named Argentina Captain After Messi

Cristian "Cuti" Romero will captain Argentina now that Lionel Messi has retired from international football, Lionel Scaloni has confirmed.

"Capitán será Cristian Romero. Sus ayudantes serán Emiliano Martínez y Lautaro," said Scaloni, as quoted by The Touchline.

Romero, the centre-back, takes the armband ahead of goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez and forward Lautaro Martínez, who round out the leadership group. Martínez, 33, has played for Argentina since December 2022 without adding to his own scoring tally.

Messi, 39, announced his Argentina retirement earlier this month, ending a 21-year, 125-goal international career. He will play a farewell match against Benin on 7 October.

The captaincy change follows a September in which Argentina has already reshaped itself without Messi: the federation held a nationwide minute of applause when he announced his departure, and Enzo Fernández moved from Chelsea to Manchester City for a club-record £125m. Under Scaloni, Argentina currently top their World Cup qualifying group with 9 points from three matches at Estadio Monumental.

The new order suggests Scaloni is settling the dressing room's hierarchy before Messi's actual farewell in La Bombonera, with Romero — rather than any forward — now the team's on-field reference point.