Leandro Paredes hopes to have his 10-match ban given by FIFA reduced on appeal and has also said that he is unlikely to play for Argentina again.
The Boca Juniors midfielder received the hefty punishment for striking Spain players after losing the 2026 World Cup final.
Speaking one day after Argentina captain Lionel Messi announced his retirement from the national team, Paredes, 32, told reporters: “It’s going to be difficult for me to carry on playing for the national team — partly because of my suspension, partly because of Leo [Messi]’s decision — because it’ll be hard for everything to carry on as before. It’s bound to be a tough decision [to retire.]
“As I’ve said before, I haven’t spoken to the [Argentina] manager [Lionel Scaloni] yet, but it’ll be difficult [to continue.] I’ll discuss it with the manager.”
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Regarding his suspension, which he considered “excessive,” Paredes said: “All that’s left is to appeal, see if we can get the punishment reduced, and that’s it.”
A 2022 World Cup winner and two-time Copa América champion with Argentina, Paredes is coming to terms with Messi’s decision. The Inter Miami star is Argentina’s all-time leading scorer and most capped player with 125 goals in 207 games across 21 years of service.
“He made a decision we didn’t want to see happen,” Paredes said. “We had talked about this a lot with him. “He was open with us during the final days of the World Cup, telling us that the final would likely be his last match. We knew it, but we weren’t prepared for it. It hurts a lot.
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“It was incredibly hard — just as it surely was for the whole country and the football world — because of what he means to everyone, to our country… his legacy will live on forever: for what he achieved, for what he represents to us, for never giving up, and for showing that dreams require struggle and pursuit before they finally come true.”
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) is reportedly planning a farewell match for Messi.
“Do we want to play another match with him? We always want to play with him,” Paredes said. “I’m one of those who always wants him by my side. I’m letting a few days pass because I know what it must be like to leave the national team after 20 years…I’ll definitely speak with Leo.”
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Paredes knows it be difficult for the national team to move on following the most successful era in Argentine football history.
“Without Leo, our leader, it’s going to be tricky,” he said. “We’ve set the bar very high and continuing to compete in that way while achieving important things, won’t be easy. Throughout this process, we’ve formed a group of incredible players and people.”
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni hinted after his team’s 1-0 loss to Spain in extra time in the World Cup final that he may leave once his contract expires at the end of this year.
