Pablo Maffeo, who once played alongside Lionel Messi in the Argentina squad, has said he is open to representing Italy in the future. The Mallorca right-back was called up by Argentina in 2023 for matches against Uruguay and Brazil but has not received a call-up since then.
Maffeo, who is 27 years old, has not yet made his debut for Argentina. He was born in Spain to an Argentine mother and an Italian father, which makes him eligible to play for the Italian national team.
Maffeo Prefers Italy Over Spain
In a recent interview with La Zona 10, as reported by BOLAVIP, Maffeo stated that while he would prefer to play for Argentina, he would choose Italy over Spain if Argentina did not call him again.
“I’d wait for Argentina to call me. That was the first team that showed interest in me. But if that doesn’t happen, I’d choose Italy over Spain,” said Maffeo.
Even though Maffeo has played for Spain at the youth level, he has made it clear that he does not want to represent the senior team. In an interview with Cadena Cope, he suggested that his past clashes with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior might have affected his chances of playing for Spain.
“I had a great experience there. They treated me really well. If I ever had to choose, it would be Argentina. I wouldn’t play for Spain-I’ve already said that,” said Maffeo.
He further explained: “Because of my issues with Vinícius and Real Madrid… obviously, that affects things. I don’t know if they would have called me, but with Spain, I wouldn’t go.”
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Will Messi Play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
With Lionel Messi and several other key players in their 30s, Argentina will need to introduce fresh faces into the squad in the coming years. One of the big questions surrounding Argentina’s future is whether Messi will play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Argentina’s coach, Lionel Scaloni, has said that Messi will decide for himself whether he will participate in the next World Cup. Messi, now 37, has struggled with injuries in recent weeks, which has raised concerns about his ability to compete at the highest level in 2026.
Scaloni recently addressed the issue, saying, “We will see what happens. There’s plenty of time. We must go one game at a time, otherwise we will be speaking about the same thing all year. Let’s not drive him crazy with this. He will decide whenever he wants”.
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Messi has been instrumental in Argentina’s success over the past few years, helping the team win two Copa America titles, the Finalissima, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Whether he will extend his international career to the next World Cup remains to be seen, but fans around the world will be eager to watch how things unfold.
The player who bullied Vinicius Jr
Maffeo and Vinicius Junior first clashed in the 2021-22 La Liga season. There has been some bad blood between the two since then, although the Mallorca right-back said they have since put things behind them. Maffeo may have risked reigniting the feud after discussing a hypothetical boxing match with the Madrid legend.
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