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Messi’s last home game for Argentina? Guillem Balague drops SHOCKING verdict
Robin Bairner
- 4 Sept 2025 11:45 BST
- 3 min read
News
Lionel Messi is rumoured to be on the verge of his final competitive home match for the Argentina national football team when they face Venezuela in Buenos Aires in a Thursday World Cup qualifier.
The 38-year-old has won 193 caps for Argentine over the course of 20 years, but will this really be his final outing in a serious game?
Guillem Balague, the Barcelona legend’s biographer, has had his say on the claims, suggesting that the Inter Miami star could go on beyond the 2026 World Cup.
Taking to X, esteemed journalist Balague says: “I read and hear that Leo is going to play his final qualifying match with Argentina at home against Venezuela.
“As he has said himself, the logical thing is that it be the last but… will it be?
“I don't think so. Leo goes day by day. He's about to renew his contract with Inter Miami, possibly for two seasons. Do you really believe that he will stop going to the national team while he plays with Inter? I don't think so.
“I'm convinced that IT WILL NOT BE his last qualifying match with the national team. There will be more!”
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has been facing questions about who could potentially replace Messi for the world champions.
“There can’t be. There won’t be. There won’t be an heir to Messi, for sure,” he told the media.
“There may be great players who mark their era, but what Messi has done over such a long time, I think it will be unrepeatable. Football has many unexpected twists, but in this case, I can almost assure you it will be impossible to see anything like it again. From what I’ve seen, Leo is unmatched.”
Argentina clearly want Messi to continue for at least another international cycle, and Balague believes that the No.10 will continue to defy logic by doing just that.
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