Messi's last chapter? Scaloni breaks down in emotion

Argentine football is all about emotion, and Lionel Messi is at the center of that emotion. A different kind of emotion is now sweeping the country around the World Cup-winning captain. The upcoming match against Venezuela at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires could be Messi's last World Cup qualifier on home soil for the national team. And on that occasion, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni spoke in an emotional voice.

Scaloni repeatedly paused during the pre-match press conference. He was once Messi's teammate. His eyes got wet as he reminisced. The journalists were also swept away by emotion. At one point, Scaloni jokingly said, "Are you crying? That wasn't my intention." When the journalist responded, "You gave me the greatest joy of my life," the coach could no longer contain himself.

The 47-year-old coach explained Messi's importance, saying,
"I played with him. Just passing the ball to him was special for me. Seeing him lift the trophy at the World Cup was the most touching experience of my life. Tomorrow will be an emotional day, but I don't want this to be his last match for Argentina. He should have another chance to play, because he deserves it."

But the most emotional moment came when journalists asked who could be Messi's successor? Scaloni rolled his eyes and replied,
"Messi's successor in Argentina or in world football? No, it's never possible. There won't be anyone. Maybe great players will come who will define their era. But what Messi has done is unparalleled. Many amazing things happen in football, but I can say for sure - there will be no one like Messi."

Lionel Messi has scored 112 goals in 193 matches for Argentina in a 20-year international career. He has won four major titles—the 2021 and 2024 Copa Americas, the 2022 Finalisima and the 2022 World Cup. That achievement has given him a taste of immortality.

Scaloni's tears seem to prove once again—Messi is not just a player, he is an emotion, whose successor may never truly be born.