Argentina unveil new rule that would have prevented Messi from joining the national team

Policy change sparks debate over eligibility

Argentina unveil new rule that would have prevented Messi from joining the national team

Argentina approved a new rule requiring young players to sign professional deal at home before moving abroad to play for the national team.

What has Argentina changed?

The Argentine Football Association introduced major change to the rules for representing the national team.

From now on, any young Argentine player must sign professional contract with local club before transferring overseas if they want to be eligible for selection.

The rule is described as essential condition for wearing the Argentina shirt. Its main goal is to protect domestic clubs from losing their best young talents to European academies without fair financial return.

In Argentina players allowed to sign their first professional contract at the age of 16 which is now set as a key reference point under the new regulation.

Messi case highlights the impact

The most famous example linked to the new rule is Lionel Messi. Messi left Newell’s Old Boys at the age of 13 to join Barcelona and its La Masia academy.

Because he did not sign professional deal in Argentina, Newell’s Old Boys did not benefit financially from developing him.

Under the new rule, Messi would not have been eligible to play for the national team.

Figures show that seven players called up to the senior squad since September would have been affected if the rule had existed earlier.

Other players who would have been ineligible

The list includes World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez who left Independiente for Arsenal in 2010.

It also includes Giuliano Simeone who moved from River Plate to Atletico Madrid in 2019.

Other affected names are Emiliano Buendia, Enzo Barrenechea, Joaquin Panichelli and Valentin Carboni.

The decision has been welcomed by officials at Argentine clubs. Nicolas Russo president of Lanus told TyC Sports that some agents harm clubs by moving players too early.

He said the new rule is the right step to protect young players and the clubs that develop them.

Legal view: FIFA likely to approve

From a legal point of view, sports lawyer Samuel Cuthbert believes the rule will be accepted by FIFA.

Speaking to The Athletic, he explained that FIFA sets general eligibility rules such as nationality but does not control how national associations choose their players.

According to him there is nothing in FIFA regulations that stops country from limiting eligibility based on domestic criteria.

Protecting Argentine Football

Argentina has long been major exporter of young football talent to Europe. The new rule aims to ensure local clubs receive proper recognition and compensation before players leave the country.