Javier Milei praised the National Team, highlighted Lionel Scaloni's leadership, and questioned Tapia's management in the AFA

After the 2026 World Cup, Javier Milei spoke again about the Argentine National Team. In an interview with journalist Esteban Trebucq for LA CASA Stream, the president of the Nation discussed the current state of Lionel Scaloni's team, shared his views on the role that, in his opinion, politics should have in relation to sports, and questioned the management of Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia at the helm of the Argentine Football Association (AFA).

The admiration for the National Team and Messi

When asked what he likes most about the Argentine team, Milei was emphatic: "That they never give up". "I would love for that to be the spirit of Argentines. That the Argentine National Team embodies the spirit of Argentines. Yes, they are a wonderful source of inspiration. I have enormous admiration for the players of the National Team", he added.

He also highlighted the consistency of the national team in recent World Cups. "Out of the last four World Cups, they reached three finals", he recalled, before once again praising Lionel Messi: "I have never seen anyone play football like Messi", he expressed.

Despite this admiration, he acknowledged that he does not personally know any of the players. "No, I don't know them personally. I am content to admire them and what they do", he stated.

"Politics and sports should not be mixed"

Milei took the opportunity during the interview to insist that athletes should not be involved in political debates. To support his stance, he recalled an anecdote about Elvis Presley, who, as he recounted, avoided publicly commenting on international conflicts because he understood that his job was to entertain the public.

After that example, he transferred the reflection to Argentine football. "The players are athletes. They practice the most popular sport in Argentina, for which we have an unbridled passion. But it should not be used politically", he emphasized.

Praise for Scaloni: "He is admirable"

During the interview, the President reserved some of his highest praise for Lionel Scaloni, whom he defined as an example of leadership. "Scaloni has a huge future as a professor at any hyper-elite business university teaching leadership classes. And he always has the right words, he is always in the right place. And he is also a leader who leads mega-stars", he asserted.

He even confessed that he would like to meet the National Team's coach, although he explained why he never sought to arrange that meeting. "I have enormous admiration for Scaloni. I wish I could meet him one day, because as a leader, as a builder of a team, the truth is that what that man does is admirable", he said.

However, he clarified that he avoids taking that step because he believes it could harm him. "Since all these things are so politicized, it might create a problem for him. And the truth is that it's not right to create a problem for a person", he explained.

The Casa Rosada that was prepared for a celebration

Milei also confirmed that, after the National Team's defeat in the 2026 World Cup final, there was a plan for the team to celebrate with the people if they wished.

According to him, the Government worked together with the AFA and presented various options to the players. "We did a joint effort in which the players were offered six celebration alternatives and they decided whether they wanted to celebrate or not", he explained.

The President stated that he understood the team's decision not to hold any celebration due to the blow of losing the final. "They were in deep pain for having reached a final and not having the best result. It is an enormous frustration, it is an enormous sadness. And I believe they deserved a celebration, but I understand the pain they were going through and they preferred not to celebrate", he affirmed.

He also revealed that the Casa Rosada had been completely prepared to receive the delegation. "I had made the Casa Rosada available within the possibilities. My sister, who manages the Casa Rosada, had already set up all the security arrangements so that no one else would be there but Casa Militar. So that the players could use the Casa Rosada to celebrate with the people. And I was going to stay in Olivos", he recounted.

For Milei, the political context ended up depriving the team of that recognition. "It saddens me that they could not celebrate due to all the contamination that politics generates", he stated.

In that sense, he insisted that "the misery of politics deprived an extraordinary group of a celebration" and described the situation as "deeply painful".

His stance on Tapia

In the final part of the football segment of the interview, Milei was asked about his relationship with the president of the AFA, Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia, to which the president simply replied: "No, I have no contact with Tapia".

While he clarified that he does not have elements to evaluate his figure, he did acknowledge that there are aspects of AFA management that raise questions for him. "I can only say that there are things in the management of the AFA that I have not liked", he pointed out.

He also remembered that the leader has legal issues, both abroad and in the country, although he made it clear that he will not intervene in those processes. "I do not interfere with the Justice in any way", he affirmed, and emphasized that it is not appropriate for the Executive Power to interfere in such investigations.

Finally, he flatly dismissed any possibility of getting involved in the management of Argentine football. "No, not a chance. How could I get involved in that? It is not appropriate, it is wrong", he concluded.