The coach of the Argentine National Team spoke about several aspects of the roster of 26 footballers for the World Cup, including Messi's situation and the renewal process.
Scaloni also explained what the criteria he maintains regarding generational change within the National Team is and left a strong statement about the continuity of the championship base.
Just a few days before presenting the final list for the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Scaloni broke the silence and made several important statements about the formation of the Argentine National Team. The coach spoke about the doubts that affect the call-up, referred to the situation of Lionel Messi, and explained his perspective on the renewal of the squad.
The world champion coach acknowledged that the coaching staff will wait until the last moment before officially announcing the list of 26 players who will travel to the most important event in football. "The idea is not to change anyone from the list, but we will be like this until the last moment", he explained in an interview with DSports.
Scaloni admitted that there are still uncertainties regarding some players who are dealing with physical discomfort, which requires ongoing evaluation of each case day by day. "Initially, we still have some doubts, some problems with a player that we will resolve in the coming days. The criterion is the same as always, the performance of the players and trying to ensure they arrive in the best possible condition. Unfortunately, in some cases, this is not happening, and we are waiting until the end to make the decision", he stated.
Additionally, he recalled the experience of Qatar 2022 and made it clear that all the called-up players can end up being decisive in the competition's development. "I learned that in a World Cup you have one thing in mind, and when the matches go by, it allows you to change. The decision on the list is important; there are 26, and we are waiting until the end because everyone can be important. In the last World Cup, we used all the field players, and the younger ones ended up being super competitive, and we believe that the same can happen in this World Cup. In a list of 26, one or two players can be more than important", he explained.
One of the unavoidable topics was the physical condition of Lionel Messi, which generated uncertainty after he requested to be substituted in the last match of Inter Miami against Philadelphia Union in the MLS. "We were watching the match at the training ground. We realized that he asked to be substituted and that he wasn't well. The initial news is not that bad", Scaloni revealed about the muscular discomfort suffered by the Argentine captain.
However, the coach acknowledged that the coaching staff is closely monitoring the physical evolution of several key players in the squad. "We would have liked him to arrive without any problems, but that is not the case with him and with most of the players who have had physical issues. The goal is to recover them and ensure they arrive in the best possible condition", he assured.
"It has been no less than two years since we became champions of America with those same players. Renewal should happen when the one on the field is not performing, it is not about age. We change or renew if we see that the one below is doing very well and the one playing is not performing well", he explained.
At the same time, he opened the door for possible young appearances and specifically mentioned the cases of Agustín Giay and Nicolás Capaldo as players who are being closely observed by the coaching staff. "They are kids that we think can be in the list of 26. We do everything thinking that they can contribute to us in case something happens after the first list is closed", he commented.
In that same vein, he also mentioned one of the most notable names in the recent Argentine football scene: Santiago Beltrán, the young goalkeeper from River who is part of the pre-list of 55. "We know Beltrán; he is going through a great moment. The other kids have been followed, and they could contribute to us. In the first week, we will not have most of the players to train, those who are recovering will not be there, and we need players for good training".
On the other hand, Scaloni avoided going into detail about his future after the World Cup and made it clear that all energy is focused on the competition. "Right now, we have a World Cup, and that is more important than seeing if a coach continues or not. When the World Cup is over, we will talk", he stated about the possibility of continuing to lead the National Team once the World Cup is finished.
Finally, the coach left a message directed at Argentine fans before defending the title. "We are going to this cup in the same way, giving our all, respecting our culture, our tradition, and the people who will spend whatever it takes to cheer us on. The result, we already know that football is treacherous. But it is much better to go home having given everything", Scaloni concluded.
