Patience is a scarce resource in Argentina. Perhaps that's why it's as precious as oil or rare earths. Mac Allister's patience is truly astonishing: two years, six months, and twenty days passed from his first call-up to the national team until his official debut against Venezuela in 2022, before he got another opportunity.
Over the past 31 months, he has gradually matured, growing into a player who can integrate into an established system, replace an absolute key player (Lo Celso), and help the team win the World Cup. During this time, Argentina also completely broke through psychological barriers and gained more confidence in their own abilities. But all this was only part of the process.
Therefore, Mac Allister speaks convincingly when he talks about "patience," because he knows what he's saying from a results-oriented perspective: it doesn't guarantee short-term wins, but it increases the probability of future victories. For this very reason, as a member of the Qatar World Cup champions and a representative of the new generation that is taking over after Messi, he once again emphasized this requirement. Whether with Scaloni, Enzo, or Alvarez, his thinking is very consistent... This might be one of the secrets to the success of the Argentina team under Scaloni.
Although the team lost to Uruguay, Mac Allister spoke highly of his new teammates.
"We understand that we are Argentinians, and in our country, patience is sometimes not easy, but this is precisely the most accurate word: the young players are very talented, and we must continue to work hard and get to know each other every day to achieve the coach's desired philosophy," Mac Allister said.
The Liverpool midfielder has already accumulated 7 goals and 7 assists in 58 appearances, enough to allow him to embrace this new era with his words. This new era, with a hint of nostalgia, is destined to be without Messi.
"The best in the world is no longer here, which is strange. We wanted to have him forever, but unfortunately, it won't be that way. We are at the beginning of a new phase without him," he said.
When asked if Messi's departure affected the decline in attendance, he said: "What we can do is keep this team growing, play beautiful football, and make fans want to continue coming to the stadium. It's normal for this to happen after Messi's departure, because he is the best in the world, and many people came to see him. Now we must take responsibility, play well, win games, and make the fans happy."
The show must go on. Queen sang it, and Elton John covered it. Mac Allister implied the same thing: he and Scaloni see the same thing – the national team's talent pool is very strong. The rising young players (represented by Nico Paz, as well as Matías Soulé, Valentín Barco, Román Vega, Gianluca Prestianni, and Franco Mastantuono) have the ability to decide games if given time.
"These kids are in great shape, very professional, and have a lot of personality, with the right mindset to play here. I think they are all doing very well now and deserve to be part of the team. Obviously, it's more about getting to know each other, adapting to different runs and combinations, but all that will come, all that will come. As I said before, there is a lot of talent here," the Liverpool midfielder responded in an interview with Olé.
After the defeat to Uruguay at La Bombonera, he still gave a positive assessment, saying the opponent was "very strong, with excellent players, and some fighting spirit." In this new phase, such matches "are very meaningful because they improve competitiveness and help the team's progress."
Mac Allister therefore agrees with Scaloni. The coach will lead the team until 2030. This milestone also requires patience, and Argentina has given the coach who has touched the nation enough time. "He is a coach with a very clear vision, and he represents the Argentine people very well because of his subtlety and the way he presents himself."