Alexis Mac Allister poised to replace Lionel Messi after Argentina retirement

Alexis Mac Allister poised to replace Lionel Messi after Argentina retirement Alexis Mac Allister revival shows why Liverpool must act on contract talks Football has a habit of making fools of all of us. One bad season and the verdicts roll in, the shoulders shrug, the talk turns to moving players on. Alexis Mac Allister knows all about that. After a grim 2025/26 by his standards, plenty had him marked down as one Liverpool should cash in on. A few weeks into 2026/27, that already looks like a rushed and lazy judgement. The Argentine has started the new campaign like a man with a point to prove. Under Andoni Iraola, he has looked sharp, aggressive and properly alive again. There is rhythm in his game, there is purpose in his passing, and there is that lovely little hint of mischief that marks out footballers who can see pictures others miss. The signs were there during the World Cup, where he played his way back into form while helping Argentina reach the final. That momentum has carried straight into his Liverpool season. Now his latest display for Argentina, in a 4-0 win over Bolivia, has only strengthened the sense that Mac Allister is back where he belongs. According to TyC Sports , he looked every inch the midfielder around whom games can be shaped. They hailed him as a “modern midfielder” who is “constantly moving up and down the pitch,” and always “ready to create”. That sounds about right. Photo: IMAGO Argentina praise underlines Liverpool importance There was more than general admiration in Argentina’s reaction. TyC Sports also pushed the idea that, with Lionel Messi retiring after the upcoming match against Benin, Mac Allister could inherit the iconic No. 10 shirt, “just like he does at Liverpool.” That is hefty praise in any context, especially from a football culture that does not hand out reverence cheaply. The wider assessment from the Argentine media centred on the same core qualities Liverpool supporters are now seeing again. His positioning was clever, his carrying purposeful, his invention clean and timely. Another outlet focused on the assist for Lautaro Martinez, a deft little pass with the outside of the toe, the sort of touch that opens a defence before it has worked out the danger. Contract talks now feel like common sense For Liverpool, this is where the conversation gets serious. Mac Allister is 27, entering the years when top midfielders marry energy to understanding. You do not let players like that drift towards uncertainty if you can help it. You certainly do not ignore the evidence in front of you because of one poor season in a side that underperformed across the pitch. He still has to sustain it. Nobody sensible should pretend a handful of big games wipes out every doubt. But football clubs are supposed to spot patterns before they become problems. Right now, the pattern says Mac Allister has rediscovered himself. More than that, he looks central again, for club and country. If Liverpool have held back on an extension, they may want to think again, and quickly. Midfielders who can run a game, press with intelligence, play through traffic and decide moments are not easily replaced. Mac Allister is reminding everyone of that with every performance. Last season increasingly feels like the exception. This version looks much more like the truth. Our View From a Liverpool perspective, this feels deeply satisfying. There was far too much noise around Mac Allister after last season, and a lot of it ignored context. He was playing in a struggling side, confidence was shot in too many areas, and yet people wanted a simple target. Good players often carry the blame when teams lose shape, because they are expected to fix everything. What we are seeing now is the real player again. He is tidy when it matters, brave when the game gets tight, and clever in ways that make those around him better. Every good side needs footballers like that. You can build around them because they bring calm as well as quality. There is also something encouraging about him responding this way. Some players wilt when they come under pressure. Mac Allister has done the opposite. He has dug in, raised his level and reminded everyone why Liverpool brought him to Anfield in the first place. If the club has not started serious contract discussions, this report only adds weight to the argument that they should. Supporters want to see the best players valued properly, and right now Mac Allister looks like one of the key figures in Iraola’s rebuild. Keep him happy, keep him central, and Liverpool will have a far better chance of getting back to where they belong.