Now give me some proper detail
Before the 2022 World Cup final, Lionel Messi said that tournament would be his last. Lionel Scaloni wasn’t so sure. “The door will always be open,” the head coach said after their victory over France.
A month before the 2026 tournament, Argentina supporters were left in the dark about whether their captain or coach was right. In the end, it was Scaloni. Messi is in and one saga was resolved. But there have been more dramas for the Albiceleste to contend with.
Critics have suggested there has been some complacency in Argentina’s preparations. During the March international break, the team played friendlies against Mauritania and Zambia – ranked 115th and 91st in the world at the time. Their final warm-up fixtures are against Honduras and Iceland.
After the win over Zambia, a reporter was escorted out of the press conference for questioning Scaloni over the calibre of Argentina’s opposition. The Argentine Football Association is also embroiled in a scandal over misappropriated funds dating back to 2023.
In previous turbulent times, the team would gravitate towards Messi on and off the pitch. It feels as though this competition could be the stage for a changing of the guard though. How Argentina cope with that realisation might determine just how strong the defence of their title is.
