In Madrid, where Cristian “Cuti” Romero has begun to establish himself in Atlético colours, Argentina have now made his international authority official: Lionel Scaloni has named the defender as the national team’s next captain.
Key takeaways
- Scaloni has selected Romero to succeed Lionel Messi as Argentina’s principal captain.
- Romero is due to wear the armband first against Bolivia on 30 September.
- Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez is expected to be vice-captain, with Rodrigo de Paul third in the order.
- The defender has already captained Argentina on three previous occasions.
- Argentina’s squad also includes Atlético Madrid players Juan Musso, Giuliano Simeone and Julián Alvarez.
Scaloni settles the succession
Asked who would take the armband after Messi, Scaloni left no room for uncertainty. “Cuti will be the captain; he is the right man,” the Argentina coach said.
The decision follows the leadership order used at the last World Cup, when Romero stood third behind Messi and Nicolás Otamendi. With Messi and Otamendi having stepped away from the national side, Romero had been widely viewed as the natural successor.
His first match as Argentina’s main captain is set to be the friendly against Bolivia on 30 September, and he is also likely to lead the side against Burkina Faso. Messi is expected to take the armband again for the meeting with Benin, described as his final appearance for Argentina.
A growing role for Romero
Romero has led the world champions three times already. His most recent spell as captain came against Mauritania, in the first of Argentina’s two warm-up matches before the World Cup.
Before that, he wore the armband against Chile at the 2024 Copa América and in the friendly with Venezuela on 10 October last year. Those occasions are now expected to become more frequent as he assumes a larger role within Scaloni’s group.
The responsibility also gives Romero added standing in an Argentina squad with a distinct Atlético Madrid presence. Goalkeeper Musso, winger Giuliano Simeone and forward Julián Alvarez are among his club colleagues in the national set-up, linking the dressing rooms of Madrid and the Albiceleste.
