Only two months after abruptly announcing he would retire from international play, Lionel Messi has been named Argentina's first captain by newly appointed coach Edgardo Bauza.
The five-time Ballon D'Or winner will keep wearing La Albiceleste's armband but is expected to have a different role on the pitch under the new management.
"I need Messi in the engine room where he can initiate plays," Bauza told a local radio station. "He'll perform better if he's consistently surrounded by two or three teammates."
The 58-year-old coach designated Javier Mascherano as the backup captain, highlighting the experience and balance he brings to the team.
The ex-Sao Paulo boss then offered no justification for Gonzalo Higuain's snub on his first list despite having been purchased by Juventus for a mind-boggling 90 million euros.
"[Higuain] has a big challenge ahead of himself at Juventus and we'll keep monitoring his progress because he is definitely a national team-calibre player."
Argentina are set to face Uruguay and Venezuela on September 1 and September 6 respectively as part of the 2018 World Cup qualifying./ShikoNews
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