The announcement by Lionel Messi not only marked the end of an era for the captain of the Argentine National Team, but also raised questions about the future of several of his teammates. Among them is Leandro Paredes, one of the team's leaders, who acknowledged that the Rosario player's decision had a strong impact and cast doubt on his own continuity with the albiceleste jersey.
In a press conference following the training of Boca, the midfielder referred to the retirement of the national team's top figure and described the moment as especially painful. "Surely, as I posted yesterday on my Instagram, his legacy will remain forever for what he left, for never giving up, and for showing that dreams are suffered, pursued, and in the end, fulfilled", he expressed.
On the other hand, Paredes shared that within the team they had already talked with Messi during the last days of the World Cup about the possibility that the final against Spain would be his last match. However, he admitted that the group was not prepared to face that news definitively. "We always want to play with him, have him by our side, but he made a decision we didn't want to come. We had talked in the last days of the World Cup that surely the final was his last match, but still we weren't prepared for that because of what he means to us", he noted.
Messi's decision also led Paredes to reconsider his own future. The 32-year-old midfielder had previously hinted that his continuity in the National Team was not guaranteed, and now he acknowledged that there are several factors that could lead him to step aside. "It will be difficult for me to continue in the National Team. For everything: for what I said at the time, for the suspension as well, for Leo's decision... It will be difficult for everything to keep functioning the same", he stated.
