Lionel Messi retirement delay? Argentina boss airs ‘keep playing’ hope while making ‘sad’ Diego Maradona comparison

Speaking to Conmebol, Scaloni expressed his desire to keep Messi on the pitch for as long as possible. The captain, who boasts 198 international caps and 116 goals, famously led Argentina to 2022 World Cup glory in Qatar alongside two Copa America titles. While Argentina have submitted their preliminary 55-man squad for the upcoming tournament, the manager is not ready to say goodbye. Focusing on the present, he said: "Being able to see him play is something wonderful. Beyond whether it is his last World Cup or not. I don't like longing or thinking about what is going to happen, I want to enjoy the moment. Everyone wants to see him play."

The emotional weight of losing a generational talent weighs heavily on the Argentina boss, drawing parallels to the legendary Diego Maradona, who famously won the 1986 World Cup. Scaloni finds the idea of a squad without his talisman difficult to process. He added: "I like to think that he is going to keep playing, because it makes you sad, as happened with Diego, not seeing him on the field anymore. They are players who marked the history of football. Thinking that he is not going to play anymore does not leave you at peace. I prefer to think about the present."

The three-time world champions are actively pursuing a fourth title, preparing with recent 2-1 and 5-0 friendly victories over Mauritania and Zambia. When asked how he would manage both Messi and Maradona, the coach insisted there would be no tactical headache. "Of course they would have played together in my national team. I don't think of a game system based on the coach but on the players, they were the best in the world and they adjust themselves. They could complement each other easily and the problem would be for the rivals," he explained.

Ahead of their World Cup Group J campaign, Argentina face Honduras on June 7 and Iceland on June 10. Scaloni’s men then begin their title defence against Algeria on June 17, before meeting Austria on June 22 and Jordan on June 28, hoping their legendary captain delivers once again.