As soon as the final whistle blew after the match between U23 Argentina and Brazil, speculation began to appear. The 1-0 victory means Argentina has qualified for the Paris Olympics. Coming to this tournament, Albicelestes will be strengthened by the presence of 3 over-aged players.

The question is whether the world’s greatest player, Lionel Messi, is among them?

The idea of ​​Messi competing at the Olympics was floated months before the qualifiers took place. Argentina U23 coach Javier Mascherano is a close friend of Messi after playing football together at Barcelona and the national team. The two even won gold medals together at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Can they continue to stand shoulder to shoulder once more, in the context that Messi’s coaching career is just budding, and Messi is about to end his playing career?

The 39-year-old coach once spoke up about the idea of ​​Messi attending the Olympics last October. That was a predictable question at the press conference after the match between U23 Argentina and Brazil; even Mascherano expanded on this topic in an interview with TyC Sports.

He revealed that Messi sent a text message congratulating him and the whole team for achieving their goal. Notably, Mascherano also added another veteran – Angel di Maria – to the list and said that “as coach, I have an obligation to invite them to the Olympics. But we understand that they have other commitments. It’s not that easy.”

Mascherano was referring to Copa America, the US tournament that will take place just before the sports world’s attention turns to Paris. It is unusual, but not impossible, for a player to participate in both the Copa America and the Olympics.

Not long ago, striker Richarlison was a member of the Brazilian team that reached the final of Copa América 2021 on July 11. On July 21, he was in Japan to help Brazil win the Olympic gold medal. Surprisingly, Richarlison’s parent club at that time, Everton, allowed him to participate in both tournaments. Then the 26-year-old striker had to pay the price for his busy schedule when he got injured in the next Premier League season.

Back in 2016, Barcelona did not allow Neymar to participate in both tournaments. The Catalan team made it clear that he was only allowed to choose 1 of 2. Neymar withdrew from Copa Centenario; The results showed that it was the right decision, when he brought Brazil to win the first Olympic gold medal in history.

But Messi’s case will be a little different. He did not have to go through a tiring season in Europe. The owner of 8 Golden Balls will feel extremely healthy after a long period of rest, in contrast to his colleagues on the Old Continent. Therefore, even though Messi will turn 37 this June, it is possible to imagine a scenario where he will participate in both arenas.

Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino said that Messi will have to choose between the two; A similar case also happened with midfielder Diego Gomez, a rising star of U23 Paraguay. Of course, we all understand that Messi is big enough to make his own rules. What applies to Gomez doesn’t necessarily apply to him.

Messi’s commercial value to Inter Miami – underlined by the team’s recent failed tour of Hong Kong because Messi did not appear – would give him a certain advantage. But if we take Martino at his word and believe that Messi can only play in the Copa America or the Olympics, the latter case is more likely to happen.

In a context where America has become accustomed to the image of Messi at Inter Miami, his presence at Copa America is probably not as important as when he was still in Europe. The 36-year-old star’s absence from the Argentina national team could even be beneficial.

There is a sad but inevitable truth: A football world without Messi is coming very close. Last November, Argentina won a historic victory over Brazil in the World Cup qualifiers. However, their performance was not as positive as the results. Before the match, Messi admitted that he no longer had enough physical strength to play the entire match. Facing a Brazilian team that always tightens space and presses opponents, for the first time in his international career, Messi looked like a luxury item on the field.

With 15 minutes left in the match and the match being balanced, Messi was substituted. Even in the moment of needing to win, Argentina still had to face the prospect of not having Messi – something that even caused controversy in coach Lionel Scaloni’s post-match press conference, despite its remarkably optimistic tone. surprised, he avoided it.

There is currently no official information about when Messi will retire from international football. The most recent information the media has is Messi’s comments from last year, when he said it was unlikely he would participate in the next World Cup. Either way, Argentina needs to plan for a future without Messi.

National team coaches will have a full month to select players for the squad before the Copa America takes place. It’s understandable if Scaloni used the tournament to test a lineup without Messi. The best scenario is when Messi shines in Paris and proves that he is still capable of contributing something to the national team in 2026.

Finally, there is a simpler option: Messi will not participate in any tournament. He will still receive the gratitude he deserves, and at the same time will not cause Scaloni to worry too much in the process of building a new future for the Argentina national team.