Is Messi coaching now? Fans surprised to see a familiar face on the Argentina sidelines

He’s coaching now?

Lionel Messi has now officially registered as an assistant coach for the Argentinian national team!

Only temporary

Messi’s career change is only temporary as he registered as a coach just before the game, per Maxi Grillo of TNT Sports.

Loophole

Messi and the Argentines discovered a FIFA loophole that allowed the Inter Miami forward to sit on the substitutes bench despite not being named in the squad.

Picked up a knock

Messi was missing the game due to a knock he had picked up in Argentina’s previous game against Ecuador.

Clever

Messi is such a huge figure for his national team, having him on the bench would be enough to provide a lift to his teammates.

Unsure of his impact

Whilst Messi operates as the captain of Argentina, we are unsure exactly how much coaching he provided against Bolivia, perhaps he was operating in more of a ‘moral support’ role…!

Didn’t want to risk him

The decision to leave Messi out of the game against Bolivia was purely precautionary. He had picked up a slight knock in the previous game and the Bolivians are known for their ferocious style of play.

High altitude

Bolivia also play their national team games in La Paz, a city sitting 3,625 metres above sea level forcing players to require oxygen masks at times. Probably not what the 35-year-old Messi needs at this point of his career!