Sergio Aguero names the three players he thinks will step up and become Argentina’s ‘next leaders’ after Lionel Messi retires

Sergio Agüero has named three players who he believes will take over the Argentina torch when his good friend Lionel Messi retires from international football.

Messi and his Argentina teammates will be looking to follow up their World Cup triumph this summer with a Copa America victory.

They are on track, having won all three group matches and will advance to the quarter-finals against Ecuador on Thursday evening.

Messi has not been as influential as he was in Qatar, with no goals and one assist to his name in the tournament so far.

Lautaro Martinez has been the star of the show so far with four goals in three appearances.

Messi is competing in the Copa America this summer but is in the twilight of his career

That’s not all that surprising, given that Messi just turned 37 and Argentina fans are starting to wonder what life will be like without their most important player in the future.

And Aguero believes there are three men ready to fill the great void.

“I think our next leaders will be Julian Álvarez, Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez,” he said Staak.com.

‘Some say Emiliano Martinez, but the goalkeeper’s roles are different, they have a different type of leadership. But I think in the future it will be the players.’

Julian Alvarez (left) and Alexis Mac Allister (center) are two players Aguero believes in

All three of these stars play in the Premier League and have an average age of just 24.

All three played key roles in La Albiceleste’s World Cup triumph and Agüero is confident they can continue to have a major impact on the national team in the future.