The tributes have barely faded after Lionel Messi’s final appearance for Argentina, a 3-0 win over Benin on Tuesday. Now comes the harder work: finding the player, or combination of players, capable of carrying an attack that revolved around the No 10 for so long.
Argentina are not searching for a simple replica of their 2022 World Cup-winning captain. Lionel Scaloni must decide whether Messi’s replacement is a tactical choice on the right of the attack, a new technical reference between midfield and the forwards, or a longer-term project drawn from an unusually deep pool.
Quick facts
- Lautaro Martinez has 87 Argentina caps and 42 goals.
- The Inter captain scored twice and supplied two assists across recent wins over Bolivia and Burkina Faso.
- Nico Paz produced 12 goals and seven assists in Serie A last season for Como.
- Franco Mastantuono has seven caps and one international goal.
- Gianluca Prestianni scored his first Argentina goal against Burkina Faso.
Lautaro has the immediate opening
If Scaloni keeps the flat 4-4-2 used over the past year, Martinez appears the most direct replacement on the right side of a front pair alongside Julian Alvarez. At 29, the Inter captain has the seniority, output and international record to claim a larger role.
His recent displays have strengthened that case. Martinez started the friendly victories over Bolivia, 4-0, and Burkina Faso, 7-0, returning two goals and two assists.
He has nevertheless spent both of Argentina’s latest World Cup campaigns in a frustrating supporting role. Martinez was not used in the most recent final, a 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain, and Messi’s retirement could finally give him the chance to become a fixed point in the side.
For now, Joaquin Panichelli of Strasbourg, who is recovering from injury, and Palmeiras forward José Manuel Lopez do not appear to pose major pressure for his place. The question is whether Scaloni instead moves away from a two-striker system to recreate the freer attacking role Messi occupied.
Paz offers a different kind of successor
In that scenario, Nico Paz is an obvious candidate. The 22-year-old Como player is a natural No 10 and made a major impression in Serie A last season with 12 goals and seven assists.
Paz has already been tested as a support forward and is set for Champions League football this season. He made only two group-stage substitute appearances at the World Cup, but scored in each of Argentina’s three October friendlies while playing from wide positions.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez added fuel to the discussion on social media, responding to one of Paz’s posts with the question: “New No 10?” It was a small message, but one that reflected the growing expectation around the former youth prospect.
Thiago Almada remains another contender for a creative role. The former Lyon midfielder, 25, has five goals in 21 caps, though he must restore momentum after an unsuccessful spell at Atletico Madrid and a return to Argentina with River Plate.
Mastantuono and Prestianni in the chase
Franco Mastantuono emerged at River Plate two years ago and has already made seven appearances for the national team, scoring once. The 20-year-old is now expected to develop further at Fiorentina after a transitional first season at Real Madrid, where he has joined on loan.
Prestianni, also 20, has made three Argentina appearances and has pushed his name forward this autumn. The Benfica attacker scored against Burkina Faso, although his progress has been overshadowed by a UEFA suspension imposed after racist remarks aimed at Vinicius Junior in February.
Aston Villa winger Alejandro Garnacho, 22, has eight caps but still needs to establish greater consistency at club level. Roma attacking midfielder Matias Soulé, 23, has only one international appearance and faces a similar task.
Paulo Dybala offers experience, with 40 caps and four goals, but the 32-year-old has not appeared for Argentina since 2024 and is not viewed as the long-term answer.
The next generation is still forming
There are younger names further down the line, although none is yet ready to inherit the biggest role in Argentine football. Claudio Echeverri, 20, was signed early by Manchester City but has not found stability through loans at Bayer Leverkusen, Girona and now Benfica.
Facundo Buonanotte, 21, is attempting to restart his career at Elche after difficult spells with Chelsea and Leeds. He has two Argentina caps, earned in 2023 and 2024.
Botafogo’s Alvaro Montoro, 19, is also being monitored, while Boca Juniors prospects Tomas Aranda and Leonel Flores have entered the wider conversation. Aranda, 19, has one senior cap, while Flores, also 19, featured in each of Argentina’s last three friendlies.
Thirty-two years after Ariel Ortega was cast as Diego Maradona’s heir, Argentina again face an impossible comparison. Messi’s place may never belong to one player alone, but the contest to shape the next attacking era has already begun.
