Baku: Cristian ‘Cuti’ Romero will be the new captain of the Argentina National Team as the new era begins following the definitive departure of Lionel Messi and the stepping away of Nicol¡s Otamendi, according to OneFootball. The C³rdoba-born defender for Atl©tico de Madrid, who came through Belgrano, will take on the leadership role in the locker room and carry the commanding voice on the pitch at 28 years old.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, this appointment is not a last-minute surprise, but rather a structure that had been taking shape since before the World Cup. At that time, head coach Lionel Scaloni had named him the squad’s third captain. With the departure of the team’s two main leaders, the center-back naturally inherits the main armband.
To hand him the armband, the coach from Pujato prioritized the C³rdoba native over other heavyweights of the ‘Scaloneta,’ such as Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martnez and Nicol¡s Tagliafico. It is worth noting that Scaloni’s own continuity through 2027 has not yet been finalized, as he is still negotiating the renewal of his contract with the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
The September friendlies, whose opponents will be officially announced this week, will mark Romero’s debut as the formal and permanent captain. However, it will not be his first experience wearing the armband, which he has already sported on three occasions across the 58 matches he has played for the national team, always under Scaloni’s guidance:
– Against Chile: His debut as captain came last year in the 1-0 away win in the South American World Cup Qualifiers.
– Against Venezuela: He wore the armband again in October of that same year during a friendly match.
– Against Mauritania: His third and most recent captaincy came last March in Argentina’s 2-1 victory.
– After the historic void represented by the renewal of the world champion squad, the National Team begins a new transitional stage by establishing the center-back as its leading figure on the field.