World Cup final: Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni hopes Lionel Messi will play on
- “First of all, we need to save a spot for him for the next World Cup,” said Lionel Scaloni about Lionel Messi after Sunday’s victory over France
- The win against the French means Scaloni’s side have lost just once – against Saudi Arabia in the opening game of the World Cup – in their last 43 matches
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni held out hope Lionel Messi has not played his last World Cup match for Argentina after the 35-year-old helped his nation win the title for a third time with a penalty shoot-out victory over France on Sunday.
Messi secured his legacy-defining success in dramatic fashion, scoring twice as the game finished in a 3-3 draw at the end of 120 minutes while Kylian Mbappe claimed a hat-trick for the vanquished side, who lost 4-2 in a battle from 12 yards after one of the greatest World Cup finals ever.
The Paris Saint-Germain playmaker had said he intended to retire from the international game long before the next World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, in 2026, but Scaloni would not rule out including Messi in his squad in the future.
“First of all, we need to save a spot for him for the next World Cup,” said Scaloni, who joined Cesar Luis Menotti and Carlos Bilardo as World Cup-winning Argentinian tacticians.
“If he wants to keep playing he will be with us, he’s more than entitled to decide if he wants to keep playing for Argentina or not or what he wants to do with his career.