2026 World Cup: Scaloni Provides an Update on Messi’s Condition

Argentina’s world champions are preparing for their 2026 World Cup opener against Algeria. At a press conference, head coach Lionel Scaloni provided an update on the condition of legend Lionel Messi: “Messi is doing well; we all want to see him play, and that goes for me too. He’s always been there, even when he wasn’t in top form, and he’s always been crucial for us, so now he’ll be even more so.”

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is thus expected to start, but Scaloni declined to reveal any further details about the lineup: “Beyond the formations and names, the players are prepared to adapt to different styles of play depending on the situations that arise.”

“We’re approaching the tournament with a lot of respect and a lot of ambition, and the team is calm. We know the first match is important, but we also know full well that not everything is decided in the first 90 minutes,” continued Scaloni, recalling the loss to Saudi Arabia in their Qatar opener.

“The tension is the same, but I believe we’ve gotten this far partly because we’ve managed to take the pressure off the players. We know this is sports, and the important thing is knowing that we’ll have given it our all. We’re not taking anything for granted; we’ll try to make things difficult for our opponent,” continued the Albiceleste coach at a press conference.