Argentina choose Cristian Romero to inherit Lionel Messi’s captaincy

Following Lionel Messi’s international retirement, Cristian Romero is expected to captain an Argentina team preparing to begin an important new cycle.

A historic chapter is closing for the Argentina national team. Days after Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football, local media reported that Cristian Romero had been selected to inherit the armband. Unless the situation changes, the 28-year-old centre-back will become Lionel Scaloni’s leading representative on the pitch, accepting a major responsibility after almost two decades shaped by the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s influence and leadership.

Romero has the personality and experience required for the role. A key member of the Albiceleste since making his senior debut in 2021, “Cuti” has now registered 58 international appearances, four goals and one assist. He helped Argentina win the Copa América in 2021 and 2024, the 2022 Finalissima and the World Cup in Qatar. The defender also played in all seven of his country’s matches at the 2026 World Cup, a campaign that ended with defeat to Spain in the final.

Cristian Romero already has considerable captaincy experience

No sufficiently complete public database provides an exact career total for Romero’s appearances as captain, so stating a definitive figure would require guesswork. Several numbers can nevertheless be verified. He captained Argentina twice in 2025, first against Chile in June and then in an October friendly. At Tottenham, he started 13 matches wearing the armband during the 2024-25 campaign before being officially appointed the club’s permanent captain the following summer.

Romero then made 32 competitive appearances in 2025-26 while holding that permanent role. The verifiable total therefore stands at a minimum of 45 starts as Tottenham captain across his final two seasons, in addition to his two previous outings as Argentina skipper. The centre-back joined Atlético Madrid this summer on a contract running until June 2031, but has yet to captain the Spanish club. His succession to Messi must now be formally confirmed by the Argentine Football Association.

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Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

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Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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