For the coach, what's important is that the captain is well, beyond the league where he competes. Shortly after in radio statements, the head coach reinforced that he sees it as possible for Messi to play in the World Cup and considered that it will depend on his will, his physical condition, and the desire he maintains. For the coach, that message confirmed the team's unity. Throughout all his statements, Scaloni maintained the same message: Messi will have total freedom to decide if he will be in the 2026 World Cup and the National Team will wait for him without pressure. For the coach, the captain acts with prudence and sincerity, and his decision will depend on how he feels over time. At the time Messi left PSG, as reported by the Argentine News Agency, Scaloni celebrated Messi's arrival at Inter Miami, convinced that he will feel comfortable there and be able to enjoy the game. For him, Messi has earned the right to decide his future and even suggested that the number 10 jersey should be reserved until the captain confirms his final determination. Scaloni supported that stance with an anecdote that reflected the Rosarino's influence on the group: after the match with Brazil in San Juan, he called him worried about the immediate future and received a simple and forceful response: “We have to keep going, it doesn't matter.” Buenos Aires, December 2 (NA) -- In the years following Qatar 2022, the coach of the Argentine National Team, Lionel Scaloni, affirmed that the captain, Lionel Messi, will take the necessary time to define if he will play in the 2026 World Cup and avoided pressuring him amidst the expectation for his continuity. Scaloni explained that the final list will only be made when FIFA informs how many players will be eligible for the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada 2026, so there is still time for that. In the lead-up to the Qualifier match against Ecuador, Scaloni recalled that he has not spoken with Messi about his future and that he only knows what the captain has declared in recent weeks. “He will take this time calmly,” he stated, and clarified that today he cannot estimate any probability: “Many things can happen, we have a base, but when they tell us how many players we can take, we will make decisions.” In another press conference, before the friendly against Australia in China, he was again consulted about Messi's situation and reiterated that his stance is consistent. For the coach, what's important is that the captain feels well and that the process continues without forcing timelines that only he can define. He also maintained that the doors of the National Team will always be open and that his presence would be a sporting and emotional benefit. The coach even remembered declarations after the world title, when he expressed that he hoped Qatar would not have been his last World Cup.
