Argentina Coach Scaloni Praises Messi's Physical Condition and Performance

Miami. Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni said he was not surprised by the excellent physical condition and performance of 39-year-old captain Lionel Messi. He also expressed his belief that Messi will remain the best player in the world as long as he wants to play.

Messi has been the main hero of Argentina's World Cup campaign. Messi, who scored eight goals in five games, is in a fierce competition with France's Kylian Mbappe for the Golden Boot. In the ongoing World Cup 2026, Lionel Messi has scored 8 goals and 1 assist so far, while Kylian Mbappe has scored 8 goals and 3 assists. Based on this, although the goals are equal, Mbappe is in the lead in the Golden Boot race due to assists. However, Mbappe has played one more game than Messi.

In the Round of 16 match, Messi played a decisive role in Argentina's historic comeback win against Egypt. With 11 minutes remaining, with the team trailing 2-0, he scored one goal and provided an excellent assist for Cristian Romero's goal. Argentina eventually won a thrilling 3-2 victory. With this, Messi became the highest-scoring player in World Cup history with 21 goals in his World Cup career.

Many questions were raised about Messi's fitness before the tournament began, as he was recovering from a muscle injury and playing in his sixth World Cup. But according to Scaloni, he is performing better than expected.

Speaking to reporters, Scaloni said, 'Leo runs about the same amount in almost every game. Physically, he had prepared specially with his fitness coach, and the results have been good. But in terms of statistics, I don't see much change in his game.'

He added, 'The most important thing is that he gives 100% of what he has. When he uses his full potential and feels he can create danger for the opponent, he becomes like a machine.'

Messi has missed two penalties in this World Cup against Egypt and Austria. Despite this, Scaloni made it clear that the responsibility of taking penalties will not be taken away from him. 'It doesn't even cross my mind to tell him not to take another penalty,' Scaloni said. 'Let him do what he wants. We have other good penalty takers in our team, but if Messi wants to take it, he will. If he doesn't want to, that will also be his decision. On the field, he should be free to make the decisions he deems appropriate.'

According to Scaloni, those who doubt Messi's age have not understood him well. He said, 'I am not surprised by this. Perhaps people who don't know him thought that at the age of 39, he couldn't play at this level. But I have said many times, he will remain the best player in the world as long as he wants to play. I am saying this not just because I am his coach, but based on his ability.'

Argentina will face Switzerland in the quarter-finals. Scaloni described Switzerland as a very strong opponent, saying, 'There are no easy opponents. We all know that.'

He added, 'Switzerland is a very good team. They always compete with the best national teams in the world. Whether they win or lose, they fight until the end. With their rich World Cup history, experienced players, and physically very strong team, they cannot be taken lightly.' If Argentina defeats Switzerland, they will compete against the winner of England and Norway in the semi-finals.