Even though he is used to the outstanding performances of his main star, the coach of the Argentine national team, Lionel Scaloni, recognized that he continues to be impacted with each passing day by the talent and longevity demonstrated by his namesake Lionel Messi on the pitch.
“We’re not surprised, because we see it every day. He’s been playing all the holy games for 20 years and, really, it’s exciting [vê-lo em campo]”, stated Scaloni on Tuesday night (16) in Kansas City, in the United States, after Messi scored three goals in Albiceleste’s debut in the 2026 World Cup against Algeria.
“I think that not only us, Argentines, but anyone who loves football can see what he does. What he did today at 38 is something difficult to explain,” added the coach.
With the hat-trick, the almost forty-year-old tied with the now retired German striker Miroslav Klose as the top scorer in the history of World Cups, with 16 goals each, with a good chance of reaching the isolated top of the list during Argentina’s campaign in the competition, in a dispute that promises to be fierce with Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, who has 14, two scored in France’s debut, also this Tuesday.
Scaloni also said that the group of players that formed around him in the Argentine national team can also contribute to the good moment Messi is going through. “I think he found it natural, knowing that he has a group of friends by his side who will do their best for him.”
The coach also said that “it’s always good” to start the tournament with a victory like this, “without a doubt, it strengthens everything”. He added, however, that some upsets have already happened, such as the draw between Spain and Cape Verde, and that there is still a long way to go.
The coach also said that Algeria made life difficult for Argentina at times, especially in the first half, and praised the attitude of his athletes. According to Scaloni, they knew how to behave and handle the opposing pressure well when necessary.
“They like to compete and when they have to suffer, they suffer, because today Algeria put us in trouble and the team knew how to suffer,” said Scaloni.
After the already historic victory thanks to Messi’s gala performance, the current champion returns to the field on the 22nd, in Dallas, at the AT&T stadium, against Austria. On the 27th, they will end their participation in the group stage against Jordan, also in Dallas.
