Cristiano and Messi say goodbye to their national teams in 2026: Who will inherit their legacies?
Cristiano Ronaldo's farewell to Portugal, announced this November 5, completes a transition that Argentina has already begun with Lionel Messi. Both national teams now face the challenge of finding new leaders and deciding who will inherit their historic jerseys.
For more than two decades, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo defined an era in international football.
Their goals, titles, and records turned them into symbols of Argentina and Portugal, but they also gave their respective jersey numbers a special meaning. Now, the two national teams will have to learn to compete without their biggest stars.
The challenge will not only be to find footballers capable of filling their positions. They will also have to identify the players who can take on the leadership of two teams accustomed to having Messi and Cristiano as their main points of reference.
Argentina's number 10 jersey is looking for a new owner
After Messi's departure, Lionel Scaloni began preparing a new era for the Albiceleste. The coach confirmed that the number 10 jersey will not be retired, although he had not yet decided who would keep it. Among the names appearing as candidates are Nicolás Paz, Franco Mastantuono, Julián Álvarez, Tomás Aranda, and Lautaro Martínez.
Nicolás Paz is one of the footballers who attracts the most interest because of his attacking qualities and his ability to create play. Added to his potential is Tomás Aranda , one of the young emerging players who is beginning to raise expectations because of his talent and the promising future ahead of him.
Mastantuono, for his part, has a particular precedent: he was the last player to wear Argentina’s number 10 in an official match without Messi, against Ecuador in September 2025. Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez bring another kind of argument: international experience, goals, and a leading role in the team.
Portugal will also have to find CR7's successor
The news this November 5 changes the scenario for Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from the national team after a career of 23 years, 234 matches, and 146 goals.
His departure leaves a symbolic position vacant within the team and opens the discussion about who will take the number 7 shirt.
One of the names already associated with that number is Rafael Leão. The forward wore the number 7 in the match against Denmark on October 1, after Ronaldo left the squad. However, that assignment was due to the competition's numbering rules and did not mean a definitive appointment as the captain's heir.
Portugal also has footballers such as Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, João Neves, Vitinha and Pedro Neto , who can take on greater responsibilities in this new phase. The experience of the former and the growth of the younger players will be important in building a national team with new leading figures.
Two historic jerseys and a generational challenge
The comparison between Argentina and Portugal opens a debate that is difficult to resolve. Messi leaves behind a national team that already has a competitive structure and several footballers with experience in major tournaments.
Portugal, meanwhile, will have to reorganize after losing its all-time leading scorer and a figure who for years drew much of the team's attention.
