Cristian “Cuti” Romero has been named Argentina’s new captain following Lionel Messi’s departure from the national team, head coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed.
Scaloni announced the decision at a press conference ahead of Argentina’s upcoming friendly matches against Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin. The coach revealed that Romero had already been considered the team’s third captain, behind Messi and Nicolás Otamendi.
“Cuti will be the captain. He was already the third captain after Leo and Ota,” Scaloni said, while also noting that Emiliano Martinez, Rodrigo De Paul and Lautaro Martinez could take over the armband when Romero is unavailable.
The 28-year-old defender has previously captained Argentina on three occasions. He first wore the armband in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Chile in 2025, before leading the team against Venezuela and Mauritania.
Messi is expected to make his final appearance for Argentina against Benin on October 6 at the Monumental Stadium, marking the end of his captaincy after years of leading the national team.