Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni spoke about repeating as World Cup champions.

Lionel Scaloni has won four trophies with the Argentina national team, the biggest one being in 2022 when he won the World Cup. No team has successfully defended and won back to back World Cup titles since 1958 and 1962 when Brazil repeated as winners. Speaking in an interview with CONMEBOL, Scaloni spoke about the team and the World Cup. Here is what he had to say:

“To win, a lot of things have to come together. It’s not just about playing well.

“It’s very difficult. We are obviously going to try, just like Argentina does every time it steps up. Try to reach the maximum. It’s tough but not impossible.

“With the coaching staff, we leave nothing to chance but we are very concise in what we tell them.

We” don’t pass on all the information we really have because we block them up.

“We breathe football and try to make sure nothing slips through our fingers.”

Rodrigo De Paul commented on training with Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team at the World Cup.

De Paul spoke in an interview with Pollo Alvarez where he commented on his form before the World Cup and playing alongside Lionel Messi at Inter Miami. In the same interview, the Argentine also commented on training with Messi. Here is what he had to say:

“We’re killing ourselves to arrive in the best physical shape, we do double training sessions, apart from the club. I record everything to make it look like a little movie.

“He doesn’t like it but I tell him: ‘Look if it happens for us, little guy, we make a little documentary and win an Oscar. I motivate him, I pump him up to the max.”

He also commented on the Argentina national team and wanting to win the World Cup:

“You don’t live without thinking about the World Cup Every time it feels closer, those thoughts pop into your head way more often. You live with that. right? With the fears, the uncertainty, the joy that takes you to a World Cup.

“For my part, I’m really pumped and full of excitement I think the national team is going to be a protagonist again. It’s really tough, but I see in my teammates a conviction and a hunger for it to keep happening.

“We won a Copa America and went for the second. We won the Finalissima and we were itching to compete against Spain, we were texting each other when it seemed like it wasn’t happening. And the same with this World Cup, the team is super ready to give everything it’s got.”

Rodrigo De Paul spoke about his form before the World Cup and playing with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami.

De Paul joined Inter Miami from Atletico Madrid and won the MLS Cup with the club. Speaking in an interview with Pollo Alvarez, here is what he had to say about his form:

“I personally, given how I play and how I thrive, know that the most important thing in my career is to play. Trying to play as many matches as possible is what will give me what I need, which is to be phyaically read so that the National Team can count on me.

“I set myself the goal of playing a year and a half out from the World Cup. I play every 3 days and haven’t had any injuries. I arrive in great form, I’d even say better than in other competitions.

“Not playing the Champions League? Look, in the Champions League you play 6 or 7 matches in a year It’s not that crucial. I understand it’s an incredible competition and the dynamic that Europe has has a ton of positive things.

“In my view, I think I need minutes on the legs”.

The 31 year old alao spoke about playing with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami:

“Yeah, there were a ton of offers from clubs and places but you know, there’s one thing that outweighs all that, and it’s playing alongside the greatest of all time.

“It’s an opportunity that any player in the world and anyone really wants to live. I had that choice and I wasn’t going to let a situation like that pass me by especially since he’s a friend of mine.

“Sharing a pitch with him every day is a dream. He’s got the most beautiful thing a football player looks for which is living with the surprise: not knowing what he’s going to do or what’s going to happen. Getting surprised all the time in the best way, it’s just awesome.”

Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuña both had fitness issues with River Plate but they are not injured.

Montiel felt a hamstring strain during River Plate’s warmup and did not start their match against Gimnasia de la Plata. Marcos Acuña started the match for River Plate but was substituted out with discomfort in one of his ankles.

River Plate coach Eduardo Coudet spoke to the media after the match. Here is what he had to say:

“Acuña and Montiel do not have injuries their discomforts do not appear to be significant. We didn’t want to take any risks because we are playing again in three days.”