Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni spoke about Lionel Messi after the team’s 3-1 win against Jordan at the World Cup.
Lionel Scaloni spoke at a press conference after the team’s 3-1 win where he commented on the team, the match against Jordan and the match against Cabo Verde. At the same press conference, Scaloni spoke about Lionel Messi, who was substituted into the match and scored. Here is what he had to say:
“I spoke with Leo and we both agreed that him being substituted into the match in the second half was the best thing for today, that shows what he means to the group.
“About Leo, I see what you all see. It’s even uncomfortable for me because he’s left me speechless.
“He chose today to think about his team mates who are getting minutes rather than those numbers that so many people talk about to boost his record. That says a lot about what his team mates and the Argentina national team mean to him.”
😊 Lautaro broke the duck: His confidence should be higher now. He also hit the post minutes before his goal and had other chances . Argentina rested 9 starters against Jordan. The fluidity wasn’t there, and that’s understandable.
😳 But in this match, Argentina’s goals have come from set-pieces or dead-ball situations. It’s a legitimate concern heading into knockout games.
✅Against a low block like Cape Verde’s, relying on set-pieces is risky. Argentina needs Lautaro, Alvarez, and the midfield to start converting open-play chances.
A bit disappointed that we conceded. It would’ve been nice to carry a clean sheet all the way into the knockout stage. On the goal, Tagliafico seemed unaware of the runner arriving behind him, while Paredes couldn’t quite make the covering movement needed to deny the final touch.
Among the youngsters, both Nico Paz and Barco impressed me, with Barco standing out a little more. Nico showed flashes of brilliance, but he also gave away possession a few times. Those risky square passes in our own half need to become less frequent—they can be very costly against stronger opposition.
Is Lautaro finally free of his scoring jinx? I’m cautiously optimistic, but I’d like to see a bit more before saying yes.
Álvarez, unfortunately, had another quiet outing. To me, he still doesn’t look mentally free. It reminds me of the prolonged goal drought he went through at Atlético between late 2025 and early 2026 (I may be off on the exact dates, but it was a significant spell). Hopefully, once he gets one convincing performance, the confidence will come flooding back.
Lo Celso was the calming influence in midfield. And I loved both set-piece goals—not because they were spectacular, but because they were smart. They were the result of good planning and intelligent execution rather than individual heroics.
Overall, a job well done. But from here on, the margins become razor-thin. We’ll need to cut out the little lapses and raise the intensity another notch.