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Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has admitted he is desperate to see Lionel Messi continue his international career, admitting the prospect of a life without the number 10 brings back painful memories of Diego Maradona’s exit.
As the national team prepares for the 2026 World Cup, the 38-year-old Inter Miami star’s future is the main talking point for everyone.
Scaloni’s plea to Messi to stay
Speaking to Conmebol, Scaloni expressed his desire to keep Messi on the field for as long as possible.
The captain, who boasts 198 caps and 116 goals, led Argentina to 2022 World Cup glory in Qatar along with two Copa América titles.
While Argentina have fielded their provisional 55-man squad for the upcoming tournament, the manager is not ready to say goodbye.
Focusing on the present, he said: “To be able to see him play is something wonderful. Apart from whether it’s his last World Cup or not. I don’t like to long or think about what’s going to happen, I want to enjoy the moment. Everyone wants to see him play.”
The sad comparison with Maradona
The emotional weight of losing a generational talent weighs heavily on the Argentina boss, drawing parallels with the legendary Diego Maradona, who famously won the 1986 World Cup.
Scaloni finds the idea of a team without his talisman difficult to process.
“I like to think he will continue to play because it makes you sad, as it happened with Diego, not to see him on the pitch anymore,” he added.
“They are players who marked the history of football. To think that he will not play anymore does not leave you alone. I prefer to think about the present.”
A dream partnership for Argentina
The three-time world champions are actively chasing a fourth title and are gearing up with recent 2-1 and 5-0 friendly wins over Mauritania and Zambia.
Asked how he would manage both Messi and Maradona, the coach insisted there would be no tactical headaches.
“Of course they would have played together in my national team. I don’t think of a game system based on the coach but on the players, they were the best in the world and they adjust themselves,” explained Scaloni.
“They could easily complement each other and the problem would be for the rivals.”
What’s next for Champions?
Ahead of their World Cup Group J campaign, Argentina face Honduras on June 7 and Iceland on June 10.
Scaloni’s men then begin their title defense against Algeria on June 17, before facing Austria on June 22 and Jordan on June 28, hoping their legendary captain delivers again.
2026 FIFA World Cup: How to watch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread over three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament games will be broadcast live across FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with every game streaming live and on-demand on both FOX One and the FOX Sports app. A record 40 games, more than a third of the tournament, are televised in prime time across FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
The June 11 opener between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will stream for free on Tubi, as will the USA’s June 12 opener against Paraguay (9 p.m. ET).
