The legendary Argentinean soccer player, Mace, has fulfilled his dream of winning the World Cup in the last edition. Despite being in his late thirties, the 36-year-old has no plans to retire. Recently, he announced that he would be joining the USL's Miami International team, which has created a lot of buzz. It was reported that he even asked Argentina's national team leader Scaloni for a "one-year leave of absence", with the intention of leaving the national team for a while to spend more time with his family and adapt to life in the United States.
According to the UK's Daily Mirror, Mez has asked Scaloni to leave the national team temporarily after his warm-up match for Argentina in Beijing. He hopes to return to the national team in 12 months' time, aiming to play in the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. As for the CONCACAF World Cup, which will be held next summer, it is unclear if Mez will compete.
Reports indicate that Scalani was shocked by Mez's request, but ultimately agreed to it. The application will have to be reviewed by the Argentine FA first, but it is not expected to be too problematic. It is reported that Mez will make his debut for Internacional Maia Mi on July 22, before returning to Argentina to celebrate his 36th birthday (June 24th). On Sunday, he played in his farewell match for Newell's Old Boys wearing the Argentina national team jersey.
Max Lodigus, who played for top clubs such as Sporting Madrid and Liverpool, announced his retirement earlier this year. In their farewell match, Newell's Old Boys took on the Argentine national team with many stars. Famous names such as Batistuta, Odiga, Gambiasu, Di Maria and Saviona made an appearance. Nonetheless, Macey's presence still reigned supreme, and Newell's Old Boys fans sent out drones and a large light show to celebrate Macey's birthday.
