Lionel Messi's Legacy: Argentina Faces Life After the Legend

Lionel Messi is edging towards the end. Not of a season, or a cycle, but of one of the greatest international careers football has ever seen. And Argentina know exactly what that means.

At 39, the captain will walk away as his country’s record appearance maker and record goalscorer: 207 caps, 125 goals, a World Cup lifted in 2022, and an era defined almost entirely in his image. Replacing that is impossible. Living with the void is the real challenge.

Alexis Mac Allister feels it already.

“There will never be another like him”

Speaking to ESPN, the Liverpool midfielder didn’t bother searching for new adjectives. There aren’t any left.

“The words for Messi are always the same: gratitude, and the realisation that there will never be another like him,” he said. “We’ve enjoyed our time with him immensely. We’re also grateful to him for everything he’s helped us win. It’s sure to be a very emotional occasion.”

Those lines carry the weight of a dressing room that has grown up under Messi’s shadow and then finally conquered the world with him at the centre of it all. Qatar 2022 was the crowning moment, the title that ended the last debate. Now comes the part nobody wants to talk about: what happens after he’s gone.

Mac Allister didn’t shy away from that.

“It will be a different process with new players coming in,” he explained. “We need to start realising that the best player in the world, the one who made all the difference, won’t be there anymore, and that we’ll have to grow stronger as a team.”

No talk of “replacing” Messi. Just acceptance that the structure must change, that the shirt will need to be carried by the collective rather than by one genius constantly bending games to his will.

Ballon d’Or question lingers

Messi’s future may be winding down, but the Ballon d’Or conversation refuses to fade. Asked about his captain’s chances of lifting the award again, Mac Allister didn’t hesitate.

“As Argentines we’d love for Messi to win it. He had an incredible World Cup and I don’t see why he shouldn’t be awarded it,” he said. “We all know that Leo has always prioritised the team over individual achievements, so it wouldn’t be a big deal for him.”

The tone said something else. For the squad, and for a football-obsessed country, another Ballon d’Or would feel like one more piece of history to add to a career that has already stretched belief.

Club uncertainty for Mac Allister

While Messi’s horizon is clear – a slow, emotional farewell to the international stage – Mac Allister’s own future looks far less settled.

Away from Argentina duty, the midfielder has admitted his frustration at Liverpool’s stance on his contract. He has watched fellow midfielders Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai receive new deals. His own situation has not moved.

He chose to stay at Anfield in the summer despite chances to leave. The decision, for now, has not been rewarded with the extension he hoped for.

“There’s no firm decision yet. I still have two years left on my contract,” he said. “As I said, I’m going to give it my all. A lot can happen in that time; there are plenty of options.”

No ultimatums. No public shots at the club. Just a clear reminder that his future is open, and that the clock is ticking.

Even so, Mac Allister spoke about Liverpool with the conviction of someone who understands the scale of the institution he represents.

“Hopefully it’ll be for more years, but if it’s just two, I’ll have to enjoy them with my family, because I have no doubt that I’m at one of the best clubs in the world.”

For Argentina, the countdown is about how to move on from a once-in-a-lifetime No. 10. For Mac Allister, it’s about whether his own next chapter unfolds at Anfield or somewhere else. Both stories are already in motion. Only one of them feels truly irreplaceable.