Argentina coach decided to win the World Cup because of Messi
*Argentina - France: 10pm Sunday, December 18, on MetaSports.
Before and during the process of joining the team, Messi once affirmed that Qatar 2022 is his last World Cup. After the semi-final victory over Croatia on December 13, the 35-year-old star confirmed that the final against France could be his last time playing for Argentina. Therefore, today's match at Lusail Stadium is the only chance left for Messi to fulfill his dream of winning the Gold Cup.
In a press conference on December 17, coach Scaloni emphasized Messi's wish to make the 2022 World Cup final more meaningful and important to the team and the people of Argentina. "If this is Messi's last game in an Argentina shirt, we hope to win. There is no better scenario than a World Cup final to enjoy that," he said.
Messi came close to winning the 2014 World Cup, but Argentina lost 0-1 to Germany in the final by Mario Gotze's goal in extra time. The rest, he and the team reached the quarterfinals in 2006, the quarterfinals in 2010 and the 1/8 round in 2018 - where Argentina lost to France.
Regarding the team, coach Scaloni said he is proud of what his players have shown since the beginning of the tournament and wants them to enjoy every moment on the Lusail pitch today. "Argentina's biggest victory is that all the members feel part of the journey to the final. I hope the fans will support us, and we can give them joy." , Scaloni added.
After a shock defeat to Saudi Arabia in the opening leg, Scaloni made important changes, including giving opportunities to duo Enzo Fernandez and Julian Alvarez. He also changed the system to be flexible from game to game, such as using three defenders in the quarter-finals against the Netherlands and three holding midfielders to contain Luka Modric when facing Croatia in the semi-finals.
Scaloni said he had decided on the formation and tactics for Argentina when facing defending champion France. He added: "We have planned, know how to operate and now it's time to execute well. Hopefully, Argentina can play like the game against the Netherlands, but win without going through the stress of the Netherlands. penalty shootout".
According to Argentine sports channel TyC Sports, Scaloni can deploy a five-back scheme to deal with the French attack, especially the danger of Kylian Mbappe. At that time, Cristian Romero will often support right-back Nahuel Molina to prevent the 23-year-old French superstar. However, Scaloni insists he still appreciates the collective play of this match, because this is a match between Argentina and France, not a competition between Messi and Mbappe. "To stop Mbappe, we need a collective effort. But France is not only Mbappe," said the 44-year-old coach. "Both teams have other players who can decide the game, not necessarily Messi or Mbappe."
Scaloni also refused to talk about Polish referee Syzmon Marciniak - who used to manage Argentina's 2-1 win over Australia in the round of 16, as well as the flu spreading within the French team. "We just focus on preparing for the way we want to play, and also the French way of playing," he said.
