NEW YORK — Will this be Lionel Messi’s last match for Argentina?
Lionel Scaloni chuckled at the question directed at him on Friday evening, two days before his side battles Spain in what promises to be an epic World Cup final on Sunday.
“What do I know? Ask him,” the Argentine manager said at a press conference in New York City. “I don’t have the faintest idea, to be honest. He doesn’t stop surprising us.”
There’s a good chance Messi doesn’t even know the answer himself. For years, retirement has hovered over every major tournament he has played. Each World Cup has been framed as his last – until it wasn’t. Now, at 39, he finds himself one win away from hoisting another trophy.
Messi has been masterful this summer. He has scored eight goals, tying Kylian Mbappé for the Golden Boot lead, while adding four assists. Two of those came late in Argentina’s dramatic 2-1 semifinal victory over England, yet another reminder of what he’s capable of doing when the stakes are highest.
We’ve always known how much Messi means to his team and his country. The murals painted across Argentina, the mass of jerseys represented in stadiums, he’s a symbol of national pride. And that bond has somehow become more visible at this World Cup.
(Photo by Evrim Aydin/Anadolu via Getty Images)
During a training session on Friday, Argentina was doing rondo drills when Messi lost possession and started walking to the middle of the circle. Lisandro Martínez grabbed his captain by the hands and steered him back to the outside instead, taking his place in the middle. It was a playful moment, but also a display of the respect this team has for Messi.
After Argentina beat England to reach its second straight final, Enzo Fernández hoisted Messi onto his shoulders while the rest of the team jumped around them in celebration while also singing and dancing. Whenever Messi is knocked to the ground during a match, teammates usually rush in and defend him. No one embodies that more than Rodrigo De Paul, who has visibly been his fiercest ally and protector throughout the tournament.
“He is pure history,” Scaloni said of Messi. “A legend. I feel proud. He’s the best footballer that the world has seen, and I think that’s something beautiful. Being able to reach the final at 39 years of age, well, I think that’s something unbelievable. And that is why I say we must enjoy him. Diego Maradona, we still miss him, but Messi is still with us. So we need to attach importance to what he does.
“He is history. He is a legend.”
Scaloni went on to talk about how special this time is for the group.
“It’s very difficult to do this,” Scaloni said. “They’ve achieved things that back in the day were totally unthinkable. I told them yesterday that they had done something unbelievable and that I was deeply thankful. My whole staff and myself will be thankful forever.
“It wasn’t easy to get to this stage of the World Cup and compete for so many years at this level, so I think this is wonderful. I hope we win, but if we don’t, this journey was unbelievable and an example for everyone. I hope it will help our people and our country.”
Messi wasn’t the only player facing questions about his future this week. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez has vowed in the past that if Argentina wins a second consecutive World Cup, he will retire. The 33-year-old didn’t want to address those comments directly in the days leading up to the massive showdown with Spain.
Instead, he’s focused on the opportunity ahead.
“We said the only thing we’re thinking about is winning,” Martinez said in front of a packed room of reporters. “Overcoming adversity is something we’ve been doing for the past few years. It’s difficult to express into words. Sometimes I even feel like crying just thinking about what we’ve achieved. I’m so grateful.”
“We need to know how to enjoy these moments as a professional footballer,” Martinez continued. “Sometimes we are not aware of what’s going on. So the message I conveyed to my teammates is that we have to enjoy these moments and prepare for the game with happiness.
“Things can go good or bad, but we’ll always remember this moment.”
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