Scaloni hopes Messi will still play for Argentina after the World Cup
In early October, Messi confirmed that Qatar 2022 would be the last World Cup, but did not mention the possibility of leaving the national team. Therefore, this is also the last chance for this striker to dream of winning the world number one tournament. His best performance was in the 2014 final, where Argentina lost 0-1 to Germany because of a Mario Gotze strike in extra time. Remaining, the 35-year-old star entered the quarterfinals of 2006, the quarterfinals of 2010 and the 1/8 round of 2018.
In an interview with TNT Sports on 9/11, Scaloni admitted the possibility that the 35-year-old striker would leave Argentina after the tournament in Qatar. But the 44-year-old coach also added: "Hopefully that's not the case. If we summon Messi as usual, there is a possibility that there will be many more Messi matches in an Argentina shirt."
Scaloni wants Messi to continue playing at the national team level for his fans around the world. "Messi makes a lot of people happy, not just Argentines," he said. "I still see Messi happy on the pitch every day. Hopefully Messi will continue to contribute to Argentina because the football world wants it."
On August 6, Scaloni, members of the Argentina coaching staff and River Plate goalkeeper Franco Armani - the only person on the list of summons who is playing in the country - arrived in Qatar. The remaining players called up will join forces from this weekend.
According to Mundo Albiceleste, midfielder Gio Lo Celso had to undergo surgery on November 10 and will definitely miss the 2022 World Cup. Scaloni confirmed this news and revealed that he only closed the list of 26 players on November 14. "The original idea was to close the roster by the end of this week, but with many players having problems, we pushed it back to next week," he explained. "We have talked with the clubs to not use players who are not in the best shape, but it is very difficult."
The host clubs refused to release their troops early because they had to attend many arenas. But not because of that, Scaloni will summon even players who have not recovered from injuries. "I want everyone to be ready, and I don't want to risk any player," he insisted. "This is a difficult time, and we have to make difficult decisions for the collective good. Balance and calm are most important."
Argentina ran perfect momentum for the 2022 World Cup with a 35-match unbeaten streak, thereby winning the Copa America 2021, the Intercontinental Super Cup and qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. In Qatar Scaloni emphasized the importance of the opening match against Saudi Arabia on November 22, because Argentina will be more motivated and confident if they win.
