Argentina World Cup winner backs decision for Cristian Romero to succeed Lionel Messi as captain

Argentina World Cup winner Angel Di Maria has backed Lionel Scaloni's decision to hand Cristian Romero the captain's armband.

La Albiceleste are set to enter a new era after Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football last month.

The 39-year-old will officially bring the curtain down on his Argentina career in next month's friendly against Benin.

Messi has been Argentina's long-time captain, but his retirement decision left Scaloni with the tough task of choosing his successor.

The Argentina head coach recently confirmed that Romero will take over the captain's role from the Inter Miami star.

© Imago / Sports Press Photo

Di Maria backs Romero to succeed as Argentina captain

Di Maria, who starred in Argentina's World Cup-winning campaign in 2022, has now offered his backing to Romero, insisting the Atletico Madrid defender "deserves" the honour of leading his country.

“He deserves it," Di Maria said as per Mundo Albiceleste. "I think it’s a great choice by Scaloni and the coaching staff.

“He deserves it because he’s a great guy. He has a great temperament to carry the armband and I’m sure he’ll do a great job.

“I’m happy that people continue to support the national team because they will surely continue to bring us joy."

© Imago / Crystal Pix

Why Romero is the right man to succeed Messi

There may be some question marks about Romero's captaincy credentials after his time as Tottenham Hotspur skipper ended with doubts over his commitment and the club's close call with relegation.

However, he is undoubtedly a respected figure in the Argentina set-up and has already fulfilled the role on a few occasions across his 58 international appearances.

While he boasts plenty of international experience, he is only 28 and still has plenty of years ahead of him in an Argentina shirt, making it a long-term captaincy appointment rather than a stop-gap solution.