Argentina manager Scaloni has left the door open for Messi to play in the 2026 World Cup
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Lionel Messi’s World Cup announcement was “logical,” according to Lionel Scaloni, but the Argentina manager believes he can still make the 2026 tournament.
The World Cup-winning Albiceleste captain revealed in a shocking interview on Tuesday that, while he will not retire from international football right away, he will not compete in the next major international event in 2026. Argentina coach Scaloni believes the time is appropriate to make such a decision, but he will not rule out Messi when the tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States arrives.
Lionel Scaloni on Messi playing 2026 World Cup:
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) June 14, 2023
“It seems to me a prudent statement from a person who does not sell smoke and does not lie. The World Cup is so far away that it doesn’t make sense to think about it now. Over the time, we’ll see if he feels like it and if he feels… pic.twitter.com/XQyXFAncxd
Scaloni told reporters at a press conference ahead of Thursday’s friendly against Australia: “His statements seem to me to be very prudent and he is not lying. The reality is that he’s going to see what happens. We’re going to follow his progress and I think it’s the logical thing to do. The World Cup is so far away and he is very cautious. The important thing is that he feels good and that he wants to play. With the passage of time we will see how he is and if he feels up to it, which is the important thing because he will know how to play football today and in ten years’ time.”
When asked directly about Leo Messi’s possible playing time against the Socceroos, Scaloni said, “In principle the whole game, but we’ll see. He’s always played with me.”
The statement on Wednesday was not the 35-year-old’s first surprise in recent days. Apart from insisting that the Ballon d’Or was “no longer important” to him, Messi rebuffed moves to Saudi Arabia and former club Barcelona by confirming his impending move to MLS outfit Inter Miami, effectively ending his turbulent tenure at PSG.
And Scaloni sounded pleased that Messi will be playing for a team that adores him, telling reporters: “I’m happy that he has chosen to play for a club in a city that I think will treat him wonderfully, where he will be happy playing football, which is what we all want. Regardless of the league or the country, it is important that he feels good, in the league and at the club. And I think he’s going to have the conditions to do well there, which is what it’s all about. He has earned it and he deserves it”.
According to Scaloni, Messi will start against Australia on Thursday before Argentina’s next friendly against Indonesia on Monday.
Kylian Mbappe Acknowledges Messi and Ronaldo’s Historic Impact on Football
Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain praised the “eternal” combo of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo while downplaying his rivalry with Erling Haaland.
Many have predicted that Manchester City’s record-breaking forward will challenge the Frenchman in a similar career-long challenge established by two of the game’s best ever players. The rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo has lasted nearly two decades, with disputes over the so-called GOAT still raging to this day. Mbappe, on the other hand, is careful to separate himself from such parallels with Haaland, preferring to acknowledge the “exceptional era” that Messi and Ronaldo helped create.
When asked by La Gazzetta dello Sport if the Mbappe-Haaland rivalry can match that of two players who have won a total of 12 Ballon d’Or, the Frenchman said, “Things should be read differently. It happens perhaps every fifty years or more to have two players like Messi and Ronaldo at such levels for so long. We lived through an exceptional era and I hope the fans took advantage of it. I was lucky enough to play against Cristiano and then against and together with Leo: they are truly special. I learned a lot from them, especially with Messi in these two seasons. They wrote the history of football: they are eternal.”
Mbappe, 24, enjoyed a “special” two years at PSG with Messi, but both appear to be heading for the exit doors at the Parc des Princes this summer, albeit to varying degrees. Last week, the Argentina star announced his exit from MLS with an unprecedented deal to join Inter Miami. Meanwhile, Mbappe’s future is once again uncertain, as the 2018 World Cup winner wants to stay in Paris for just one more season – while PSG wants to cash in this summer.
It appears that the French capital will have another hectic transfer window, and the same can be said for Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia. A number of world superstars have already agreed to join the Gulf state, while the Portuguese has seen Chelsea duo Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Hakim Ziyech linked with his current employers, Al-Nassr.
