Article by Maria Olteanu – Published on Thursday, 04 June 2026 21:42 / Updated on Thursday, 04 June 2026 21:43
The World Cup is about to start and Argentina will enter the field to defend their title in Qatar in 2022. Lionel Scaloni (48), the coach of the reigning world champions, admits that national star Leo Messi (38) has a different status.
At the helm of the South American team, Lionel Scaloni remains on the bench, and Lionel Messi continues to lead the team on the field. And even if the star, at 38 years old, is already at the end of his career, the coach admits that Messi has a different status than the other players he trains, being the only one who decides how much he can take on the field at such a level, given his age.
In an interview with the newspaper Olé, about a week before the final tour of Mexico, Canada and the United States of America, when asked how he manages the use of the number 10, who, like most players, does not like to be replaced, Scaloni admitted that he does not decide anything on his own regarding Messi.
Scaloni consults with Messi at every step
“All the decisions we make we discuss with him. It is unnecessary to say here that I am the one who decides: in his case, and I think it is deserved, I will always discuss and ask him how he feels, and we will try to reach an agreement”he began, quoted by abola.pt.
“I think it should be, because even when he is on the field with various difficulties, he gives us many things. That's why it is often better to have him on the field, for everything he can create,” Scaloni pointed out.
Argentina were drawn at the final tournament in Group J, along with Algeria, Austria and Jordan.
Program Group J
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June 17, 4:00 am » Argentina – Algeria
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June 16, 7:00 am » Austria – Jordan
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June 22, 20:00 » Argentina – Austria
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June 23, 6:00 a.m. » Jordan – Algeria
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June 28, 5:00 am » Algeria – Austria
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June 28, 5:00 a.m. » Jordan – Argentina
