Messi or no Messi, Argentina has become the team to beat in world soccer

What will life be like in Argentina in the post-Lionel Messi era, with no clear timeline?

Well, judging by their current form, things are looking pretty good for the Albiceleste, win or lose, if the best player in the world decides to retire from international competition after Sunday’s Copa America final (8 p.m., Fox, Univision, TUDN).

It’s unlikely, but strange things do happen.

Over the past five years, soccer fans have witnessed the rise of an Argentine team that has not been so dominant in world football since Spain’s dominance in the mid-2000s.

Spain, who will face England in the European Championship Final later that morning (2 p.m. ET, Fox, Univision), won the 2010 FIFA World Cup before winning the 2008 and 2012 European Championships.

Argentina won the 2021 Copa America and the World Cup in Qatar the following year and are poised to repeat that success if they can beat Colombia. They are unbeaten since losing to Saudi Arabia in the first round of the World Cup and Lionel Scaloni’s side maintained their impressive unbeaten record following a 2-0 win over Canada in the semi-finals.

Photo by JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images

What else can Messi do?

A fearless leader, Messi has won nearly every accolade there is to win for club and country throughout his career.

Now with Inter Miami FC in Major League Soccer, he has become the face of the league and is maintaining the same level of gameplay even in what is considered the twilight of a glittering career since making his debut as a long-haired 17-year-old teenager in 2003.

“Everybody knows he’s the greatest player of all time,” Canada head coach Jesse Marsch said before the Copa America semifinal against Argentina. “He’s respected all over the world and I think it’s an honour to play against a player like him.”

But here’s the thing: Messi has been the face of Argentina for over two decades, and their squad, especially this Copa squad made up of World Cup-winning players, is arguably one of the best at the moment.

Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

The numbers tell the story of Argentina

The overview is as follows:

• Nineteen Argentina players have made at least 20 appearances for the national team, seven of them with more than 50 caps, and three players – Messi (186), forward Angel Di Maria (144) and defender Nicolas Otamendi (117) – have made more than 100 appearances.
• Only two players have not played for a club in one of Europe’s top leagues, one of them being Messi and the other being back-up goalkeeper Franco Armani, the goalkeeper for River Plate, one of Argentina’s top clubs.
• Argentina’s average age at the World Cup was 27.9 years old, but as they advanced to the Copa final, their average age rose slightly to 28.3 years old.
• It was Argentina’s eighth appearance in a semi-final against Canada and the first since 1993, and only the second time the country has been on the brink of winning the tournament after winning 2-0.

Ultimately, with or without Messi, the Argentina team has enough talent to continue its international success, heading into the next FIFA World Cup in the United States, along with Canada and Mexico, in 2026.

With the current squad getting increasingly older, 2026 may be their last big year, but Argentina has earned their place as world champions, and even if they lose to Colombia, they will probably still be there.