Scaloni: ‘Now Is the Best Time for Messi to Retire’

 Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni believes now is the right time for Lionel Messi to retire from international football, and he also hinted at uncertainty about his own future in the national team.

Messi, 39, announced his retirement from international football at the end of August. The superstar will make his final appearance in the blue and white jersey in a friendly against Benin at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on October 6.

“A player like Messi deserves such a beautiful farewell,” Scaloni said at a press conference on Thursday. “I myself wanted to be by his side on this farewell. Because I don’t know if I will be in charge of the coach in the future. So we made arrangements so that Messi could play in this match.”

He added, “We know how difficult a time he has been through. Yet, he has expressed his desire to return to the field and respond to the love of his countrymen and supporters. Now is the best time to pay tribute, because later that emotion or magic may no longer be there. I believe this is the right moment for everyone to show him their love.”

Messi scored eight goals in eight matches in his sixth World Cup. The Inter Miami star ended his national team career with a record 125 goals for Argentina in international football, 21 of which came at the World Cup.

Scaloni said with emotion, “Being able to coach him is the best feeling of my life, it’s like a dream come true. I told him this too, and I’ll keep telling him for the rest of my life – there will be no one like Messi. His performance on the field and his personality off the field – there’s only one footballer like him in every generation. Let’s enjoy this moment.”

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi has been nominated for the award on October 26. Scaloni said, “After what he did in the just-concluded World Cup, there is nothing new to say. If the award is for the best footballer, the statistics show that it belongs to Messi. As long as he plays on the field, it will be difficult for anyone else to get this award.”

Scaloni, who hinted at his future after the World Cup final defeat, said that even though his contract expires in December, he is ready to negotiate an extension.

“We will discuss, we are all ready to sit down with Claudio Tapia (president of the Argentine Football Association). I would like to stay here, but I have to talk to the president about some things,” Scaloni said at the team’s training camp in Essaya ahead of friendlies against Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin.

After Messi’s departure, many players, including Argentina’s new captain Cristian Romero, have publicly demanded that Scaloni be retained as coach.

The 2022 World Cup and two Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024 came from the hands of this most successful mastermind in the history of Argentine football.

He said he would hold talks with the association president in the coming days, adding, “It’s been a dream time, but that doesn’t mean we have to sit tight. We’ll talk about some conditions, let’s see if we can reach an agreement.” Asked whether the contract renewal was based on financial or team plans, Scaloni said briefly, “A little bit of everything.”

Argentina will face Bolivia at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium in Cordoba on September 30. They will then face Burkina Faso and Benin at the Monumental Stadium on October 3 and 6, respectively.

Scaloni has given priority to youth in the squad after the departure of veterans such as Messi and Nicolas Otamendi. “These matches are an opportunity for the youngsters to prove themselves. It is a result of their quality that they have been included in the team. I hope they will take advantage of this opportunity,” he said.

The new players called up include defenders Tomas Palacios, Roman Vega and Valentin Gomes; midfielders Tobias Andrada, Ezequiel Fernandez and Santiago Simón and winger Lionel Flores.