NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni has admitted he is desperate to see Lionel Messi continue his international career, confessing that the prospect of life without the number 10 brings back painful memories of Diego Maradona’s departure.
As the national team prepares for the 2026 World Cup, the future of the 38-year-old Inter Miami star remains the main topic of conversation for everyone.
Scaloni’s plea for Messi to stay
Speaking to Conmebol, Scaloni expressed his desire to keep Messi on the pitch as long as possible.
The captain, who has 198 caps and 116 goals, led Argentina to glory at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar along with two Copa América titles.
Although Argentina has presented its preliminary 55-man squad for the upcoming tournament, the coach is not ready to say goodbye.
Focusing on the present, he stated: “Being able to see him play is something wonderful. Regardless of whether it is his last World Cup or not. I don’t like to long or think about what is 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 Argentine coach, drawing parallels with the legendary Diego Maradona, who won the famous 1986 World Cup.
Scaloni finds it difficult to process the idea of a team without its talisman.
“I like to think that he will continue playing, because it makes you sad, as happened with Diego, not to see him on the field anymore,” he added.
“They are players who marked the history of football. Thinking that they are not going to play anymore doesn’t leave you in peace. I prefer to think about the present.”
A dream partnership for Argentina
The three-time world champions are actively seeking a fourth title, preparing with recent 2-1 and 5-0 friendly wins over Mauritania and Zambia.
When asked how he would manage both Messi and Maradona, the manager insisted there would be no tactical headache.
“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 adapt on their own,” Scaloni explained.
“They could easily complement each other and the problem would be with the rivals.”
What’s next for the champions?
Ahead of their World Cup Group J campaign, Argentina will face Honduras on June 7 and Iceland on June 10.
Scaloni’s men will 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 once again.
FIFA World Cup 2026: How to watch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across 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 matches of the tournament will be broadcast live on FOX (70) and FS1 (34) and each match will be streamed live and on-demand on both FOX One and the FOX Sports app. A record 40 matches, more than a third of the tournament, will be broadcast in prime time on FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
The June 11 opening match between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will be streamed for free on Tubi, as will the United States’ opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
