Big shoes to fill: 3 players who can captain Argentina after Lionel Messi walks away

#2 Paulo Dybala

Dybala against Mexico in a recent friendly

Argentinians felt blessed when a diminutive left-footed youngster dazzled on the world stage. In 2005 it was Messi, in 2017 it was Paulo Dybala. Bearing similarities to Messi in matters of playing position and goal scoring abilities, the 25-year-old is much touted as the legend’s heir in the national setup.

The hype is so real that it might even land the captaincy in the youngster’s lap, an encore of his predecessor’s case. However, his similarity to Messi plays against him in the way that both operate in the same areas on the pitch, a headache for any gaffer to accommodate them together. Paulo’s path could clear only when Messi himself makes way, when and how nobody knows for sure. One needs to bear in mind that Dybala’s leadership skills are untested for now and he himself might shy away from the role given the burden of expectations it brings. Even Messi once cracked under such prolonged scrutiny.