Argentina's Future Without Messi: Mac Allister's Insights

Alexis Mac Allister knows exactly what is coming. Argentina are inching towards life after Lionel Messi, and no one in that dressing room is under any illusions about the scale of the void.

Messi, now 39, is approaching the end of an international career that has redefined a footballing nation. He will walk away as Argentina’s record appearance holder and leading scorer, with 125 goals in 207 caps, the face of the 2022 World Cup triumph and the standard by which every future Albiceleste star will be judged.

Mac Allister, speaking to ESPN, didn’t try to dress it up.

“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.”

That emotion comes with a hard reality. At some point, Argentina will line up without the player who so often tilted entire tournaments in their favour. Mac Allister made it clear the squad cannot simply cling to memories.

“It will be a different process with new players coming in,” the midfielder 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.”

The message is blunt: the era of waiting for Messi to solve everything is ending. The next Argentina must be built on collective strength, tactical tweaks and fresh leaders willing to carry the weight he leaves behind.

That does not mean the tributes are over. Far from it. Asked about Messi’s prospects of adding another Ballon d’Or, Mac Allister did not 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.”

Even at the end, Messi’s legacy is framed through the lens of the group. It is fitting that his teammates talk about him as the ultimate team man at the very moment they are preparing to stand on their own.

Club uncertainty at Anfield

While Mac Allister helps Argentina navigate a generational shift, his own future at club level is far from settled.

The Liverpool midfielder has already admitted he felt a sting of disappointment when the club did not move to extend his contract, especially after fellow midfielders Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai secured new deals. For a player who has become a key part of the engine room, that hesitation has naturally raised questions.

Despite having chances to leave Anfield in the summer, he stayed put. Commitment on the pitch, though, does not yet match certainty off it.

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

He is not pushing the panic button. Nor is he pretending the situation is simple. Two years is a long runway in modern football, long enough for a new project to emerge elsewhere or for Liverpool to change their stance.

For now, he insists he is exactly where he wants to be.

“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.”

Between a national team bracing for the post-Messi era and a club career hovering at a crossroads, Mac Allister stands in the middle of two shifting landscapes. How he navigates both could shape not only his own legacy, but also the first chapter of Argentina’s life after their greatest ever number 10.