--- title: "A new era for the Albiceleste: Cristian Romero becomes Argentina's captain after Messi's departure" description: "Cristian Romero has been elected the new captain of the Argentina national team following the international retirements of Lionel Messi and Nicolás Otamendi. The 28-year-old defender, now of Atlético, left London's Tottenham." date: 2026-09-10T14:22:07.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/cristian-romero-new-captain-of-argentina-after-messi-departure tags: [argentina-national-team, cristian-romero, lionel-messi, football, ballon-dor-2026, world-cup-2026] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # A new era for the Albiceleste: Cristian Romero becomes Argentina's captain after Messi's departure ![Cristian Romero embraces Lionel Messi in the Argentina national team kit — the moment of passing the captain's armband of the Albiceleste](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/10/kristian-romero-novyy-kapitan-sbornoy-argentiny-posle-uhoda-messi/kristian-romero-novyy-kapitan-sbornoy-argentiny-posle-uhoda-messi-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Cristian Romero has been elected the new captain of the Argentina national team after the departures of Messi and Otamendi. - The defender has played 58 matches for the national team, won the 2022 World Cup and the Copa América twice. - In August 2026, Romero moved from Tottenham to Madrid's Atlético. - At the 2026 World Cup, Argentina lost to Spain 0-1 in the final (Ferran Torres goal in extra time). The Argentina national team is entering a new chapter in its history. After Lionel Messi and Nicolás Otamendi officially announced their retirements from international football, the reins of leadership — in the literal sense of the word — have passed to centre-back Cristian Romero. According to TyC Sports, the 28-year-old was elected captain of the Albiceleste, becoming the team's new symbol and leader during this transitional period. As reported by [Sport RBC.UA](https://www.sport.rbc.ua), Romero made his debut for the national team in June 2021 and has since become one of the key figures in Argentina's defence. During his time with the national team, he has played 58 matches, scoring four goals and providing two assists. Before his official appointment, he had already worn the captain's armband on three occasions, which effectively predetermined his status as Messi's natural successor. ### The road to the captain's armband Romero is no random choice for the role of the team's face. As a member of the national team, he won the 2022 World Cup and the Copa América twice, meaning he possesses a full set of trophies and authority in the dressing room. According to available information, the defender's main rivals for the armband were goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez and defender Nicolás Tagliafico. However, experience, leadership qualities, and his status as a key defensive player made Romero the favourite in this internal vote. ### Context: the 2026 World Cup final and a club move The appointment comes against the backdrop of the recent 2026 World Cup final, in which Argentina lost to Spain 0-1 — the decisive goal in extra time was scored by Ferran Torres. It is precisely at such a moment that a team especially needs a steady leader capable of holding the collective together during difficult periods. In parallel, Romero has begun a new stage in his club career: in August 2026 he left London's Tottenham and moved to Madrid's Atlético, signing a contract with the Spanish giant. Thus, his captaincy coincided with a transfer to a new club, adding a symbolic dimension to the moment. ### Contradictory data The wording of the sources differs slightly on exactly how the decision on the captaincy was made. Some materials (including TyC Sports) emphasise that Romero was "elected" — meaning the choice was made by the squad itself. Other outlets, in particular ua-football.com, present the event as a decision by head coach Lionel Scaloni, who settled on a new captain. In essence, both descriptions can be compatible: in football practice, the captain is often confirmed by the coach following a discussion with the players. Nevertheless, the exact mechanism — a dressing-room vote or the coach's sole decision — is not clearly specified in open sources, and the editorial team records both versions. ### What's next for Messi and the national team For Lionel Messi, the end of his international career coincided with his inclusion among the candidates for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, making his departure from the Albiceleste even more resonant. Having lost two veterans of the defence and the attack, the Argentina national team is betting on a new generation, and the captain's armband on Romero's arm is the first visible marker of this generational shift. Ahead of the team are qualifying and friendly matches in which the new leader will be tested for strength before the eyes of fans around the world. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [A new era after Messi: Argentina's national team elects a new captain](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/nova-era-pislya-messi-zbirniy-argentini-obrali-1789050031.html) - Основной источник: Ромеро избран капитаном после ухода Месси и Отаменди, со ссылкой на TyC Sports. - [Argentina's new captain revealed after Messi's departure](https://bombardir.ru/news/827174-stal-izvesten-novyy-kapitan-sbornoy-argentiny-posle-uhoda-messi) - Подтверждает факт назначения Ромеро капитаном. - [Lionel Messi prepares for a final record, the national team already has a new captain](https://www.mk.ru/sport/2026/09/10/lionel-messi-gotovitsya-k-poslednemu-rekordu-u-sbornoy-uzhe-est-novyy-kapitan.html) - Подтверждает наличие нового капитана и контекст карьеры Месси. - [Scaloni settles on Argentina's new captain after Messi's departure](https://www.ua-football.com/foreign/newscommon/1788971793-skaloni-opredelilsya-s-novym-kapitanom-argentiny-posle-uhoda-messi.html) - Подтверждает факт, но подаёт выбор как решение тренера Скалони, что отличается от формулировки «избран игроками». ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Who became the new captain of the Argentina national team? **A:** The new captain of the Argentina national team is centre-back Cristian Romero, 28, who plays for Madrid's Atlético. ### Q: Why did Romero become captain? **A:** Because Lionel Messi and Nicolás Otamendi officially ended their international careers, and Romero had already worn the captain's armband on three occasions and is a key figure in the defence. ### Q: What are Romero's achievements with the national team? **A:** He has played 58 matches for the Albiceleste, scoring four goals and providing two assists, won the 2022 World Cup and the Copa América twice. ### Q: Who competed with Romero for the captaincy? **A:** The main rivals were goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez and defender Nicolás Tagliafico. ### Q: How did Argentina perform at the 2026 World Cup? **A:** In the 2026 World Cup final, Argentina lost to Spain 0-1, with the decisive goal in extra time scored by Ferran Torres.