On Lionel Messi’s farewell-match day, the Argentine newspaper criticizes the national team’s friendly schedule and the AFA’s commercial approach. The columnist also urges Lionel Scaloni to defend the team’s sporting interests more forcefully.
In a La Nación opinion column, Lionel Messi’s farewell from Argentina’s national team becomes a starting point for a broader critique of how the Argentine Football Association (AFA) manages public interest and the team’s sporting opportunities. The newspaper argues that the captain’s departure will remove the main draw for home friendlies and that Argentina may play at home less often while taking more commercially driven matches abroad.
The columnist acknowledges that the calendar and choice of opponents are limited, but points to other South American teams that faced European and Asian sides in 2026. In the author’s view, Argentina could use international windows for more meaningful matches. Instead, the column says, the AFA has often selected opponents whose main attraction was the chance to play against Messi. That approach, the author argues, puts revenue from tickets, sponsorships and other commercial rights ahead of the matches’ sporting value.
The piece also addresses head coach Lionel Scaloni. It describes his continuation in the job as good news for preparations toward the 2030 World Cup, while urging him to advocate more firmly for the national team’s sporting interests, including over the schedule and opponent selection.
These are the La Nación columnist’s assessments, not statements by the AFA or the coaching staff. The column closes with a call to treat the national team as a long-term sporting project and not let commercially oriented friendlies built around one star’s popularity replace meaningful preparation.