The Argentine National Team is already starting to gather in the country for a FIFA date that will be marked by a scene that no one wants to see: the farewell of Lionel Messi in the albiceleste jersey on national soil. One of the first players to arrive was Valentín Barco, who once again referred to the significance of sharing his last moments with the captain under the guidance of Lionel Scaloni.
The Chelsea defender is particularly looking forward to the match against Benin, scheduled for October 6 at the Monumental Stadium, which will have the great attraction of Messi's farewell. In a conversation with ESPN, Barco acknowledged: "We are all very excited and hope to live up to his farewell".
The former Boca player also referred to the future of the National Team once the Rosario native is no longer part of the squad and admitted that it will be difficult to get used to his absence. "No one can imagine it without him, he leaves a huge void, impossible to fill", he expressed.
The relationship between the two players also has a special component for Barco. When Messi debuted with the National Team, the current Chelsea player was only one year old, so his career has been intertwined since childhood with the figure of the team's greatest reference.
In this context, when the captain announced his decision to close his cycle, the Buenos Aires native dedicated a heartfelt message on social media. "Since I was a kid, I imagined being able to play with you, you are my idol, being able to say that we shared the national team and a World Cup is a dream come true. You are an incredible person, thank you so much for how you treated me from the very first moment and thank you for all the joy you brought to all Argentines. I wish you all the best always, captain", Barco wrote at that time.
The full-back is set to be one of the names in the generational change that Argentina will have to face after a historic cycle, accompanied by a defined identity and four titles.
The new phase will begin to take shape during an expanded call-up by Scaloni, who has brought the list to 37 players to face friendlies against Bolivia (Wednesday, September 30 at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium), Burkina Faso (Saturday, October 3, with the venue still in doubt) and Benin (Tuesday, October 6 at the Monumental Stadium).
