Will Lionel Messi play at the World Cup? Lionel Scaloni breaks his silence

One day before the match against Mauritania at La Bombonera (Friday at 20:00), Lionel Scaloni spoke at a press conference. Less than three months before the start of the World Cup, the national team coach broke his silence and touched on all the topics in question: the Finalissima, whether Messi will make it to the World Cup, the 26-man list, the preparation and more. Below, everything he said.

Scaloni’s press conference

The canceled Finalissima: «We were following the news coming from Qatar and the truth is they were not encouraging. We said early on that it was getting complicated and alternatives had to be found. Everything got delayed; on Monday we were going to travel to Qatar and on Sunday we didn’t know where we were playing. It’s no one’s fault, I think football is a secondary matter. From there a tug of war started. We wanted it resolved as quickly as possible. The controversy doesn’t make much sense. We started looking for opponents because we had none, which shows we had nothing planned. The training ground wasn’t prepared for us to come here. It’s positive for us to be here and for the boys to be with their families freely. It’s useful to get to know them more, especially the new players. We have two friendly matches in which we must respect the opponents and look at the youngsters, who deserve a chance and to fight for a spot for the World Cup.»

The list thinking of the World Cup: «In principle these are the players, but we are open to looking at players like the youngsters who came now and are doing well, so why not think they can make it. Everything will depend on how they arrive, not only in terms of injuries, but performance. It’s important that they arrive well in all aspects and as close to their potential as possible. We made that clear to them on Monday; they are aware of what’s at stake. We are eternally grateful to those who have made us win, but we need capable people.»

A Di María return? «I don’t know about the noise around Di María, I have the best relationship with him. He wrote to me and congratulated me at Christmas and New Year. I think it’s more a matter of the environment than him. From that point of view we have it quite clear since the day we spoke with him. I’m happy with his present because he looks happy and that’s the most important thing. I think that stage is over and at least that’s how we understood it. There are young players pushing from behind and they want to be there. Hopefully he keeps playing like he has until now.»

Mastantuono’s situation and his call-up: «Mastantuono’s case is simple. We were going to play only one match and it was pointless to have him and so many others. I value the desire to want to be here; sometimes they get off the plane and you ask the kids ‘what do you think about being called afterwards’… He was called later because it was a single match. He’s 18, not to mention the Boca kid, Aranda, who has come to train with us now. They are kids, you have to give them time. Franco is at the most demanding club in the world and that magnifies everything. All the support will come from us, his career is just starting, that’s the most important thing.»

Paredes and Barco: «I spoke with Leandro before the season. He is a player we already know what he is with the ball and what he brings to his team and Argentine football. I’ll keep the things we discussed to myself. I know him well and he knows what we expect from him. Valentín gives you the option that if he has to play as a left-back he can do it, but today that’s not his position. He’s doing well as a midfielder; he can play in the three central midfield positions. He made the step that was asked of him, he put the team on his back and plays how he wants. We’ll give him the opportunity to play in these matches so he can show what he’s worth.»

Messi to the World Cup? «You already know what I think. I will do everything possible for him to be there. For the good of football he should be, but I’m not the one who decides. That will be his decision. Not only Argentines want to see him, everyone wants to see him. When he’s here we’ll see if he’s able to play the whole match and so on. He is the one who decides; he earned the right to decide with peace of mind, we are not in a hurry. Whatever he decides will be best for the team and for him. Let’s hope it’s a yes.»

Expectations for the World Cup: «There is the one who says it’s going to go well, and the one who says it’s going to go badly. It’s normal to ask… They are statistics, the World Cup is very complicated, terribly complicated. We are fine, eager and aware that opponents will play us differently because we have the extra of being the reigning champions. From there, anything can happen in football. In the end people give their opinion and luckily the players play.»

*»I have the peace of mind of having a group behind me that I know will give everything. What’s coming is tough and we know the difficulty it has.»

More on the canceled final, the impossibility of playing Europeans: «The truth is the only window in which we could have played a European opponent was November because some Europeans were free from the Nations League. We always had to rely on African or American opponents, that’s it and there’s no other truth. Regarding the change from the 27th to the 31st, our logistics were no longer the same. I was going to travel on Monday to Doha because it wasn’t going to be played. The kit men and all the people who travel are here, it’s not easy. Then there is everything that can be talked about, but that’s the reality. To travel from here to there you have to plan. There are 70 or 80 people who travel with the delegation.»

Injured players and candidate national teams: «In the case of Lisandro (Martínez), Lo Celso and Lautaro (Martínez) we believe they are players who had injuries and will return to compete at their level. We’ll see how they are. In principle they will be fine and that’s what we all think. I don’t think there are fewer than 10 teams that can win the World Cup. I have no doubt there are 10 teams at a very high level. The winner will be the one who does it best and who has the right amount of luck.»

The youngster Aranda at Boca: «We brought Aranda because we see what you see, it’s a nice emergence. Let’s not start on whether he’ll make the World Cup because he’s young… He has a great future ahead. Kids who play at clubs like that have something different. Yesterday we put him in a small-sided game and it’s good for him to come and train with his idols so he can see that his idols are flesh and blood.»

The heat and the team’s bunker in Kansas: «The heat will be the same for everyone at the World Cup. It’s true we played the Copa América final in Miami and it was very hot, but the opponent suffers it too. For the spectacle itself it won’t be good. That’s why the three-minute break for such intense heat. It was seen at the last Club World Cup. I’m worried about the match times, I imagine they choose a time when most of the world can watch and those aren’t the most suitable for the players. Diego complained at the Azteca so think about how long we’ve been talking about it and nothing changed. The base were Luifa, Nani, the trainers, they told me it’s nice because I didn’t go. We don’t seek luxury, we want it to have the minimum conditions and a bit more.»

Players from the interior provinces: «Whether they are from Santa Fe or elsewhere, they are Argentines, we don’t look at where they are from. In the end, the culture and idiosyncrasy is the same. What’s good is that each province could have a representative. The young players bring a lot of hope, they will learn to slow down and learn from their teammates. It’s good that they come eager. We are happy with those who came.»

Prestianni’s call-up: «We didn’t even talk about what happened, I’m not the one to talk about that matter with him. We know he can contribute, he’s practicing on the right even though he is playing on the left. The first reason to call him is that Pablo has had him. Maybe another kid who didn’t go through the youth teams is harder to know.»

The chat with Spain’s coach: «I spoke with Luis De la Fuente on Wednesday that week. We had agreed to do something together that in the end didn’t happen. He was in the same position as me, not really knowing what was going on. Regarding the morbid curiosity, Argentina and Spain will always be an important match by themselves. I don’t think it was necessary for this to have happened.»

Work in these training days: «In principle we want to strengthen our virtues through the ball. If we have to work on something it’s at the moment of not having the ball. It’s to continue strengthening that. We’ve worked on that these days and in terms of attack strengthening what the team does. In a national team, where you meet quite infrequently, it’s hard to change our way of playing. We’ve worked during these days on the aspect of recovering the ball.»

What a World Cup squad list represents: «It is the most important list because it’s the upcoming one, Qatar was the first. I had two before Qatar, but giving a list for a World Cup is not the same. You give it a lot of thought because it had its difficulties with the loss of some players. We took them differently and for a footballer it’s very hard not to be in a World Cup. We will not call players just to tell them no because we don’t think that’s fair. We will give the list thinking of what’s best for the team and knowing how painful it is to tell a player no.»

Acuña, Rojas and the battle for the left-back: «Marcos has returned to playing, he has the luck that we know him and that’s why he earned the call-up. He’s just returning and we believe he will go on an upward curve and that’s why the call-up. It’s a nod to a kid who has given us a lot and in any case there is Gabriel Rojas who we believe can contribute and pressure to get in. I want people to enjoy. I’m a fan on the bench, it’s not very different, ha. When you can play two matches at home it’s very different.»

Playing an unknown opponent: «In principle we like to play against opponents who come with hope. I was giving the kids the example that regardless of who we play, because if we think it’s going to be easy… At the World Cup we lost to Saudi Arabia. They have naturalized players and that adds to the difficulty. We are happy to be able to play against an opponent who will give their maximum and not to get to know La Bombonera. In the end it hasn’t been easy for us to arrange this and they have shown great willingness.»