Disputes between Messi and the Argentine Football Association: expected absence of stars from the national team

The Argentine Football Association is going through a period of instability, some two months after losing the World Cup final to Spain (1-0), amid administrative and financial crises that could cast a shadow over the national team during the upcoming international break.

French network “RMC” describe the association as in chaos. President Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia faces accusations of money laundering involving parties inside and outside Argentina, and the ongoing legal battle appears to have started to affect the national team.

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On the coaching front, manager Lionel Scaloni’s contract with the national team ends on 31 December.

Many believe the 48-year-old, who led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title and reached the final of the latest edition, sees his journey with the national team as over.

According to Italian newspaper “La Gazzetta dello Sport”, Scaloni is heading for the exit, and several of his coaching staff want out too. That opens the door to major changes within the national team in the coming period.

The regulars may be absent

Argentina’s next three friendlies, against Burkina Faso, Bolivia and Benin, will certainly go ahead without the legendary Lionel Messi, who has announced his retirement from international football.

The October international break was supposed to feature a tribute to the Argentina captain, but the tension between him and the association complicates any such ceremony.

On that point, “La Gazzetta dello Sport” said: “There is also a big tribute to Messi on the table, but Leo is not entirely convinced about it. Relations with the Association are tense. Messi feels he has given the Association a great deal, not only on the pitch but also off it, on the economic level.”

It added: “Here is another point of pain: the bonuses allocated to the players for the recent performance are under discussion. In more than one quarter inside Argentina, it is pointed out that the World Cup finalists are creditors of the Association, and that the sums owed to the national team players are large.”

The Italian newspaper continued: “Putting all of this together, one understands why the national team stars who play in Europe are not enthusiastic in the first place about the idea of travelling to Argentina, to face three national teams whose names begin with the letter B, and it is not Brazil.”

All of this could keep a number of key players out of the upcoming international break, among them Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez and Alexis Mac Allister. The uncertainty surrounding the Argentine national team only grows.

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