Scaloni Gets Emotional Talking About Messi in What Could Be His Last Match in Argentina
The coach of the Argentinian national team, Lionel Scaloni, expressed his feelings when talking about Lionel Messi, anticipating what could be the star’s last competitive match on Argentinian soil. Moved, Scaloni highlighted the importance of this moment and the need to give a special tribute to the player.
Messi, who has not yet defined his retirement date, confirmed last week that the match against Venezuela in Buenos Aires, corresponding to the World Cup qualifiers, could be his farewell to the Argentine public in this type of competition.
“This is a match that Leo has said will be emotional, special, beautiful because it’s true that it’s our last qualifying match. We have to enjoy it as we are always saying. More than anyone, I will enjoy it. Having been able to manage him has honestly been a pleasure and hopefully the people who go to the stadium will also enjoy it because they really deserve it”.
Lionel Scaloni
Scaloni, visibly emotional, highlighted the honor of coaching the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, with whom he achieved the world title in 2022. The Argentine coach expressed his wish that the fans enjoy the match and that Messi receives the recognition he deserves.Lionel Scaloni gets emotional when talking about Lionel Messi before the World Cup qualifying match against Venezuela.Messi has hinted that he might retire from the national team after next year’s World Cup, where Argentina will seek to defend the title won in Qatar.
The qualifiers for the 2030 World Cup will begin in 2027, when the Inter Miami star will be 40 years old.
Argentina, already qualified for the World Cup, will face Venezuela with the peace of mind of having secured its place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico next year.
Venezuela, for its part, is in full fight to qualify for the World Cup for the first time. Led by the Argentinian Fernando Batista, it currently occupies seventh place in the table, which would give it access to the intercontinental playoffs in March.
Scaloni acknowledged Venezuela as a difficult rival and highlighted Batista’s work. In addition, he spoke about the uncertainty in Argentina’s preparation for the World Cup, including the possibility of a match against Spain in next year’s Finalissima.
“It’s not certain that the match will be played because it’s still not clear if Spain will finish as group leader [in the UEFA rankings],” said Scaloni. “If they are not group leaders in March, the match cannot be played. So there’s a question mark there. We’ll have to wait and see what happens and we’ll have to wait to confirm our matches.”
The difficulties in arranging friendlies and the situation in Europe complicate the Argentine national team’s schedule.
