Lionel Scaloni, Argentina’s manager, was taken by surprise when a fan stormed the press conference room following the Tango’s friendly victory over Zambia, in preparation for the 2026 World Cup.
The Argentine national team secured a 5-0 victory over visitors Zambia in a match held in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, in the early hours of Wednesday morning, days after another win against Mauritania.
The match against Zambia is widely regarded as Messi’s last on Argentine soil before he takes part in the World Cup and then retires from international football, according to numerous media reports, as well as hints from Leo himself in several previous interviews.
During the post-match press conference, and without warning, a fan climbed onto the podium and approached the microphone, surprising the coach and journalists.
Scaloni paused his speech whilst the intruder attempted to speak into the microphone, before security personnel quickly intervened and escorted him out of the room.
The fan addressed a message to Scaloni, saying, “I want you to be ready, because France are a really strong team, better than Brazil and Spain, with all due respect.”
He added, “Kylian Mbappé is the best footballer in the world, alongside Messi and Dibo Martínez.”
Following the incident, Scaloni commented on what had happened, admitting that he initially thought it might have been staged. He said: “I thought it was something staged.”
Argentina are competing in the World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, in Group J alongside Algeria, Jordan and Austria.