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The Argentine Football Association head Chiqui Tapia revealed that the national team's training base will be renamed after Lionel Messi. It will be known as 'Lionel Andres Messi' from 25 March onwards. The training facility was previously known as Casa de Ezeiza.
Messi has been immortalized after guiding Argentina to glory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup that took place in Qatar.
Tapia wrote on Twitter, making the announcement:
"We lived a historic day in our Casa de Ezeiza, which from today will be renamed Lionel Andrés Messi, in homage to the best player in the world. I want to thank all the managers, players and employees of @afa for having been with us, once again."
Lionel Messi was at the forefront of Argentina's success during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He scored seven goals, including a brace in the final, and provided three assists. Messi was the winner of the prestigious Golden Ball award.
The world champions recently defeated Panama by a score of 2-0 in a friendly. Messi scored a last-ditch free kick goal during the match. He has now scored 99 international goals in 173 matches for La Albiceleste.
While Lionel Messi's powers are far from being on the wane, some fear the little magician might be nearing the end of his Argentina career.
Given Messi is already 35, their suspicions are justified. Lionel Scaloni was quizzed on the topic ahead of the clash against Panama. Scaloni claimed that the decision remains entirely in Messi's hands. He said (via GOAL):
"Messi will continue to come until he says otherwise. I see him happy on the pitch and within the selection, Leo's looking good to me. He deserves all that love. He and all the players who are here deserve to go out and receive that love because they have not been able to live it."
Messi, for now, will be focused on the upcoming clash against Curacao. La Albiceleste will play their second friendly of the international break on March 27.