March 29, 2026 | 08:52 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The coach of the Argentine national team, Lionel Scaloni, has stated that the participation of Lionel Messi in the 2026 World Cup is not yet certain. The decision entirely rests with the team captain. "That's a question more for him [Messi]. As far as I'm concerned, you already know where I stand, I'll do everything I can to make sure he's there. I believe that, for the sake of football, he has to be there. It's not me who decides. It's up to him, his state of mind, his physical condition," said Scaloni, as quoted by ESPN.
Messi, 38, was a key player for Argentina when they won the 2022 World Cup. He was awarded the tournament's best player and also became Argentina's all-time leading goal scorer with 115 goals.
Scaloni believes Messi's presence remains important, not only for Argentina, who are ambitious in defending their title, but also for global football. However, he stresses that the decision should consider the player's physical and mental conditions. "It's difficult because it is not just the Argentinians who want to see him, everyone wants to see him, I want him to be there. It's up to him to decide. He's earned the right to make that decision with peace of mind," he said.
In the near future, Messi is set to continue to strengthen Argentina in friendly matches against Mauritania and Zambia to be held at La Bombonera Stadium, Buenos Aires. However, Argentina's performance in the first friendly match is not entirely convincing. The Tango team won 2-1 against Mauritania, but lost in the number of opportunities.
Argentina had seven attempts with four on target, while Mauritania released 11 shots with four on goal. Enzo Fernandez and Nico Paz scored for Argentina. "The team didn't play a good match. We have to say that so we can work on improving," said Scaloni as quoted by ESPN. He believes that the result serves as a reminder that no opponent can be underestimated, while also emphasizing the importance of improving performance ahead of the main tournament.
On the other hand, Argentina is also facing injury problems. Joaquin Panichelli suffered a knee injury during training, while Juan Foyth has been dealing with Achilles injuries since January. Both are confirmed to be absent from the 2026 World Cup.
Scaloni mentioned that player fitness is the main factor in determining the final squad. He is open to changing the team composition based on the players' performance and physical readiness.
Argentina is scheduled to start their campaign in the 2026 World Cup on June 16 by facing Algeria, before meeting Austria and Jordan in the group stage.
With the remaining preparation time, the certainty of Messi's participation is one of the key factors that will affect Argentina's strength in their efforts to defend the title.
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