Nicolás Tagliafico anticipated that he doesn't have much time left in the Argentine National Team: "I am in the final stage"

Each call-up of the Argentine National Team begins to have a different meaning for some of its members. In this context, and as part of a new FIFA date, Nicolás Tagliafico arrived in the country to join the training camp and made it clear that he is going through a decisive stage of his career with the albiceleste jersey.

The left-back, 34 years old and currently with Olympique de Lyon, was asked at Ezeiza Airport about his present with the national team and acknowledged that the end is getting closer. "I'm in the final stage, trying to enjoy it as much as possible because, as I just said, you never know when it ends, so you have to enjoy it", he expressed to the press.

In this way, Tagliafico publicly raised a possibility he had mentioned on other occasions: that the 2026 World Cup could have been his last major competition with Argentina. The defender also pointed out the need for new players to emerge over time to take the place of those who are part of the current generation.

The renewal of the squad will be one of the major challenges that Lionel Scaloni will face in the upcoming cycle. Lionel Messi has already announced his farewell and other key players have also been leaving the Albiceleste, making the transition one of the central issues for the future of the national team.

Regarding the captain's decision, Tagliafico acknowledged that it is a difficult blow to absorb, although he emphasized that it was a situation that was bound to happen sooner or later. "It's always tough when these things happen, but you also have to understand that this is the reality and sooner or later it was going to happen", he stated.

In that vein, the defender highlighted the significance of having shared so many years with the Rosario native. "You have to absorb it, you have to work hard for what’s coming, to keep growing as a national team. Twenty years have passed with the best player. It’s going to be tough, but you have to absorb it", he expressed.