Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni says there cannot be an heir to Lionel Messi as he prepares for life without the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner after the 2026 World Cup.

It is widely expected that Messi will retire from international football following the World Cup.

Messi has led Argentina to glory in the last two editions of the Copa America and at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

And Scaloni believes that fans should treasure the superstar while he is still playing.

“Yes, well, in principle, let’s enjoy him now, let’s enjoy him as much as possible, as many games as he can play, and we’ll see in the future,” Scaloni told Flashscore.

“It’s obvious that at some point he won’t be here and the Argentine national team will always continue, but the moment he decides not to come, the loss will be enormous, not only for Argentine football, but for the world of football, which wants to see him on the pitch.

“In the end, whoever likes football likes him to be there, so for now let’s enjoy it.”

The 38-year-old has showed no signs of slowing down for Inter Miami this season, scoring 27 goals and registering 11 assists in 34 appearances for the MLS side.

Asked whether there is an heir to Messi in Argentine football, Scaloni said: “No, there can’t be. There won’t be. There won’t be an heir to Messi, for sure.”

“There may be great players who marked the era, but what he has done in such a long time, I think it will be unrepeatable.

“Football had a lot of unthinkable things, but in this I could almost assure you that it will be impossible to see anything else like it. At least from what I saw, I think Leo is unmatched.”

La Albiceleste have already finished top of South American qualifying, sitting on 35 points from 16 matches, 10 points above Ecuador and Brazil.

Argentina will face host Venezuela in Buenos Aires on Thursday, before travelling to Ecuador for the final game of their qualification campaign.