An emotional Lionel Scaloni said Lionel Messi deserved a special reception when taking the field for likely his last competitive game on home soil for Argentina on Thursday, though he expressed hope that the legendary forward would get another chance to bid farewell to the Argentine fans before his retirement.
Messi, 38, has not yet announced when he plans to retire, but he confirmed last week that he expects Thursday’s match with Venezuela in Buenos Aires to be his last time playing at home in a World Cup qualifier.
Asked about that prospect during his pregame news conference on Wednesday, Scaloni described the honour of coaching the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, with whom he won a World Cup title in 2022.
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“Yes, this is a match which Leo has said will be emotional, special, nice because it’s true that it’s our last qualifying match,” Scaloni, who wiped away tears during his appearance before the media, said. “We have to enjoy it as we’ve always been saying.
“More than anyone I will enjoy it. Having been able to coach him has honestly been a pleasure and let’s hope that fans who go to the stadium will also enjoy it because he truly deserves it.
“Tomorrow will be a nice match. Exciting. I’m sure that it won’t be his last game in Argentina and I say that we’ll make sure that if he decides it’s the last game, we play another because it’s obvious to do that in the right moment and because he deserves it.”
Messi has hinted that he will retire from the national team after next year’s World Cup, where Argentina is going to defend the title they won in Qatar
The qualifiers for the 2030 World Cup will begin in 2027, when the Inter Miami star will be 40 years old.
Argentina take on Venezuela safe in the knowledge that they have already wrapped up top spot in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers to secure their spot in the United States, Canada and Mexico next year.
It is a very different scenario for Venezuela, who are locked in a battle to qualify for the World Cup for the first time. Under Argentine coach Fernando Batista, Venezuela currently sit seventh in the standings, which would see them progress to the inter-confederation playoffs next March.
But with Colombia four points ahead in sixth and Bolivia just one point back in eighth, it remains all to play for in the final two rounds of qualifying.
“It’s an uncomfortable, difficult opponent who, with Bocha [Batista], have achieved some very good results and are on the verge of playing, or have the possibility of playing, in a World Cup,” Scaloni said. “And that could be something historic for them. So, we appreciate that.
“We’ve shared moments with him, and they will be a tough opponent, where a lot is at stake in tomorrow’s match. And that makes the game exciting to watch and, as always, we will try to win by playing our way.”
As Argentina look ahead to the World Cup, Scaloni admitted that much of their preparations remain up in the air, including whether they will face off with European champions Spain in the Finalissima next year.
“It’s not certain that the game will be played because it’s still not clear whether Spain will finish as group leaders [in UEFA qualifying],” Scaloni said. “If they aren’t group leaders in March, the game can’t be played. So, there’s a question mark there. We’ll have to wait to see what happens and we’ll have to wait to confirm our games.
“And it’s the same with June. We’ll have to find teams to play if we want to play them here. It’s not easy to get teams to come and play here. It’s the same old problem we’ve always had, especially after the introduction of the Nations League, where the Europeans play among themselves. We don’t have the opportunity to go to Europe to play because they’re all busy. So, everything has become more complicated in recent years.”
