Mac Allister wants Messi to win the Ballon d'Or, previews an "extremely emotional" send-off against Benin

In the corridors of Ezeiza airport, unhurried and with the calm of someone already used to the cameras, Alexis Mac Allister stopped to talk to the press as soon as he landed in Argentina to join up with the national team. He didn't dodge any of the hot topics of the moment: the Ballon d'Or, Messi's farewell and his own future at Liverpool.

On the sport's most coveted individual award, the midfielder didn't mince words. As an Argentine, he wants Leo to take it home:

"Obviously, as an Argentine I want Messi to win it, he had a tremendous World Cup, although these days people look a lot at the numbers, which didn't used to count for as much, and nobody really knows exactly how the voting works. But everyone competing is a great player, and Leo has always put the team ahead of individual accolades, so it wouldn't be a huge problem for him if he loses it"Alexis Mac Allister

Mac Allister, who has been in excellent form at Liverpool, also made clear that the locker room stands behind Lionel Scaloni and that the group's wish is for the coach to stay on in charge of the team.

A farewell set to stir strong emotions

The other unavoidable topic is what's coming on October 6, when the national team faces Benin in what will be Messi's last match in the Argentina shirt. For Mac Allister, it's going to be a day that's hard to forget:

"There won't be another one like it, we've enjoyed so much having him alongside us. It's surely going to be an extremely emotional day"Alexis Mac Allister

The midfielder went further and talked about what comes after Messi: a different process, with new players joining the squad and without the man who "made the difference." That absence, he said, is something the team as a whole will have to make up for.

Before getting into national team matters, Alexis also had words for a teammate on the Argentina squad but a league rival: Enzo Fernández's outstanding goal for Manchester City over the weekend. He said he hadn't spoken with him after the goal, but that their families got together that week given how close the two are. Still, he pointed out that Enzo "has already gotten us used to that kind of goal" thanks to his striking ability.

What's next for his future at Liverpool?

On his future at the English club, Mac Allister was honest: he still has two years left on his contract and nothing beyond that has been decided.

"I have two more years on my contract, I'm going to give my best and a lot can happen in that time. Hopefully it's more years, but if it's two, I'll enjoy it with my family, because I'm at one of the best clubs in the world"Alexis Mac Allister

Meanwhile, the national team has already put together its initial list of 28 players for the September and October friendlies, with names like Julián Álvarez, Lautaro Martínez, Cristian Romero, Enzo Fernández and, of course, Lionel Messi, who will experience that especially emotional match against Benin.