Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has officially chosen Cristian Romero to inherit the captain’s armband after Lionel Messi plays his final international match.
Argentina confirm Cristian Romero as new captain after Lionel Messi
Argentina have officially decided who will inherit the captain’s armband when Lionel Messi brings his legendary international career to an end.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni has confirmed that Cristian “Cuti” Romero will become the new captain of the world champions.
Messi is preparing to play his final match for Argentina against Benin on October 6.
After that emotional farewell, a new era will begin.
And Romero will be the player trusted to lead Argentina into it.
Scaloni confirms Argentina’s new captain
Speaking during a press conference at Argentina’s training base, Scaloni was directly asked about the leadership situation after Messi.
His answer was clear.
“The captain is going to be Cuti.”
Scaloni explained that Romero was already an important member of Argentina’s leadership group.
The Atletico Madrid defender previously stood behind Messi and Nicolas Otamendi in the captaincy order.
Scaloni said:
“He was already the third captain after Leo and Ota.”
And when explaining why Romero had been chosen, the Argentina coach added:
“Cuti is the right one.”
Romero chosen ahead of other Argentina leaders
Argentina have several experienced players who could have been considered for the role.
Scaloni specifically mentioned:
Emiliano Martinez
Rodrigo De Paul
Lautaro Martinez
All three are capable of wearing the armband when required.
However, Romero has been selected as the main captain for the post-Messi era.
The decision shows how important the 28-year-old defender has become inside Scaloni’s team.
Romero has already captained Argentina
The responsibility will not be completely new for Romero.
He has already captained Argentina on three previous occasions.
His first appearance with the armband came against Chile during the 2025 World Cup qualifiers.
Argentina won that match 1-0.
Romero later captained the team in a friendly against Venezuela.
He also led Argentina during their 2-1 victory over Mauritania before the 2026 World Cup.
Those experiences have helped prepare him for a much bigger leadership role.
Messi still has one final game
Romero will not officially begin the new era immediately.
Messi still has one final appearance planned for Argentina.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is scheduled to play his farewell match against Benin on:
OCTOBER 6
The match will take place at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.
It is expected to be an emotional night as Argentina say goodbye to the captain who led them through the greatest period of their recent history.
Once that final game is complete, Romero will take control of the armband.
The end of an unforgettable Messi era
Replacing Messi as captain is an enormous responsibility.
The Barcelona legend became the symbol of Argentina during a historic period for the national team.
As captain, Messi helped Argentina win:
Copa America 2021
FIFA World Cup 2022
Copa America 2024
He transformed years of international disappointment into one of the most successful periods in Argentina’s history.
No player can simply replace what Messi represented to the national team.
Romero’s challenge will be to help lead the next generation rather than try to become another Messi.
Why Scaloni trusts Romero
Romero has developed into one of Argentina’s most important defensive players.
He is known for his aggressive defending, intensity and strong personality on the pitch.
Those qualities have also made him an important voice inside the dressing room.
Scaloni believes Romero has the character needed to lead Argentina through a major transition.
With Messi leaving and Otamendi no longer ahead of him in the leadership order, the defender is now ready to take the next step.
A new leadership group is forming
Argentina’s future will not depend on Romero alone.
Scaloni has made clear that several senior players will continue to play important leadership roles.
Emiliano Martinez remains one of the strongest personalities in the squad.
Rodrigo De Paul has long been one of Messi’s closest teammates and an important voice in the dressing room.
Lautaro Martinez is another experienced figure capable of wearing the armband.
But Romero will now stand at the top of that leadership group.
Argentina begin preparing for life without Messi
The captaincy decision is another clear sign that Argentina are preparing for a major change.
For years, almost everything around the national team was connected to Messi.
Now Scaloni must build a team capable of competing without him.
Players such as Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister and Romero are expected to become even more important.
The change of captain represents one of the first major steps into Argentina’s post-Messi era.
Romero faces a huge responsibility
Wearing Argentina’s captain’s armband comes with enormous pressure.
Romero will follow one of the greatest footballers in history.
Every performance and every major decision will attract attention.
But Scaloni believes he is ready.
The coach has now publicly placed his trust in Romero to become the voice of the next Argentina team.
A new era begins after October 6
For now, Argentina’s attention remains on Messi.
His farewell against Benin will bring an extraordinary international career to an emotional conclusion.
But Argentina already know what comes next.
Cristian Romero will inherit the captain’s armband.
Emiliano Martinez, Rodrigo De Paul and Lautaro Martinez will remain important leaders around him.
And Scaloni will begin building the next generation of the national team.
Messi’s era as Argentina captain is almost over, and Cuti Romero has officially been chosen to lead what comes next.
