"He didn't tell me" .. A mysterious statement from Scaloni regarding Messi's participation against Egypt

SadaNews - Argentine national team coach Lionel Scaloni reassured the "Albiceleste" fans about the physical condition of their captain Lionel Messi, confirming his readiness to participate in the match against Egypt, despite having played a full 120 minutes in the match against Cape Verde in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.

Scaloni said in a press conference: "Leo is fine, he hasn't informed me of any problems despite playing 120 minutes and being 39 years old. If he feels anything, he hasn't told me, and thus he will play anyway."

The Argentine team relies on its captain to overcome the challenge posed by Egypt in the match scheduled for today, Tuesday, but Scaloni acknowledged that the current version of the World Cup has posed significant challenges even for the top teams favored to win.

He said: "A few days ago, it seemed that France was a terrifying team, and it still is, but they struggled against Paraguay. Spain is gradually evolving, but their performance has not been consistent across all their matches. No team has maintained the level they were performing before the World Cup started."

The Argentine coach explained that several factors have influenced the level of the teams, saying: "Travel, heat, stadiums, and the varying quality of grass, in addition to the ball not sometimes moving as expected. All these factors prevent us from seeing the usual differences between the favored teams."

He added: "The closer you get to the end of the tournament, you are supposed to get more rest due to the pressure of the matches, but what happens is the opposite."

Despite the struggles faced by the Argentine team against Cape Verde, which ended in a 3-2 victory after extra time, Scaloni expressed his satisfaction with his team's performance, saying: "Argentina's level is acceptable. We have won our four matches, and that is enough to be satisfied."

He concluded: "We have an important advantage, which is that even when we do not perform at our best, the players always show a fighting spirit and a great desire not to lose."

 

Source: French Press