“Who needs Messi”, “Football Viagra” – Fans claim 24-year-old is best player in Argentina apart from Lionel Messi after 3-0 win against Bolivia

Fans have claimed Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister is the second-best player in Argentina apart from Lionel Messi after the 24-year-old impressed in their 3-0 win against Bolivia.

Lionel Messi was excluded from the matchday squad to take on Bolivia at the Estadio Hernando Siles stadium yesterday (September 12). This was because the Inter Miami superstar failed to recover after being substituted during La Albiceleste's 1-0 win against Ecuador due to fatigue.

Argentina took the lead in the 31st minute through Enzo Fernandez. Bolivia's Roberto Fernandez was shown a red card eight minutes later, enabling Lionel Scaloni's men to take control of the game.

Nicolas Tagliafico netted in the 42nd minute to double Argentina's advantage before Nicolas Gonzalez scored in the 83rd minute to secure a commanding 3-0 away win.

Fans were left impressed with Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister's performance. The Argentine was deployed as the No. 6 and flourished, completing 59 of his 63 passes (93% accuracy). Moreover, he had an accurate long ball rate of 100%, made eight recoveries, and won five duels.

Many fans reacted on X (formerly Twitter) to convey their admiration for Mac Allister. Some reactions can be viewed below:

"Who needs Messi when u got macca"

"Oh my God, Alexis Mac Allister. Football viagra"

"The best of the national team without Messi? Mr Alexis Mac Allister"

La Albiceleste are currently second in the CONMEBOL standings with six points, having played two games. They have made a perfect start in their bid to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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MLS superstar could miss next fixture following exclusion from Argentina's World Cup qualifier

Lionel Messi could potentially miss Inter Miami's next fixture against Atlanta United on September 16, which is set to take place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The 36-year-old was rested against Bolivia while on international duty for Argentina yesterday due to still being fatigued.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has had a heavy workload ever since joining Inter Miami on July 15. Messi has made 11 appearances across all competitions ever since, scoring 11 goals and providing five assists. He was an integral factor in the Herons winning the Leagues Cup and reaching the final of the US Open Cup.

While Lionel Messi did address his fatigue last week and say it was nothing serious, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni admitted the former failed to recover from it during training.

The Argentine ace should be back in action soon for Inter Miami but the game against Atlanta could be too soon for him to start again.