Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni says his side will search for a new way of playing after Lionel Messi's retirement, using the current friendlies for tactical experimentation.
He spoke at a press conference in Cordoba ahead of the friendly against Bolivia, Argentina's first official test of the post-Messi era.
Scaloni said, according to Goal: "We will find a way to play differently. That is what these matches are for, to experiment. However, our basic style still revolves around controlling the ball. From there we will see how we adapt."
Replacing a legend is no small task. Messi scored 125 international goals, a record that makes him Argentina's all-time top scorer.
Kooora Forums
Messi announced his international retirement in late August and will play his official farewell against Benin at the Monumental Stadium next week.
The number 10 shirt stays vacant until that farewell match, Scaloni explained, and the team is under no obligation to hand it to anyone in the current fixtures.
He added: "The idea is for one of the players to keep it in the end, given the special value it carries. We have not yet decided who will wear it."
Most of the players who started the 2026 World Cup final, the 1-0 defeat to Spain, will feature during this international break.
New faces will get their chance too, among them Nico Paz, Roman Vega, Santiago Castro and Valentin Barco.
Argentina play Bolivia in the early hours of Thursday at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium in Cordoba, then face Burkina Faso on Sunday, before returning to Buenos Aires on 7 October for Messi's farewell.



