The Argentine National Team arrives at a new round of CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers, just after being crowned champions at the Copa América held in the United States. The bad news is that they will be without their best player, Lionel Messi.

La Albiceleste will face Chile at home and Colombia away, but one of the big questions is who will wear the captain's armband in these upcoming matches as they aim to stay at the top of the standings.

Without Messi and Di María, who recently retired from the national team, this could officially mark the beginning of a new era. The team's leadership, which is now largely in the hands of a young squad, could fall to players like Rodrigo De Paul or Emiliano Martínez, knowing that Nicolás Otamendi could also be considered, though he is not expected to start.

De Paul addressed this upon his arrival in the South American country: "Do I see myself with the captain's armband? I don't know. I always say that I take on the role I'm given. It's been many years, I feel like an important player for this national team, and that's all I can say. We know the armband belongs to Leo, and whoever wears it now is just temporary because the captain of this team is him."

There’s no doubt that "El Motorcito" is a pillar of the World Cup-winning team, having gone through difficult times in his career before turning things around to become one of the fans' favorites. Now, the decision is up to Scaloni.

On the other hand, there's "Dibu" Martínez, a crucial player whose recent performances have shown that perhaps without him, the latest titles wouldn't have been possible. He consistently steps up in the most challenging situations on the field.

An honorable mention goes to Cristian "Cuti" Romero, a player who has grown tremendously as a center-back, securing one of the defensive positions. He has never disappointed and has always risen to the occasion.

At this moment, he may not be the one chosen to be captain in Messi's absence, but in the future, he could certainly be a strong candidate to wear the armband.