Argentina coach Scaloni hails Messi before World Cup final
Argentina's national football coach Lionel Scaloni has praised Lionel Messi ahead of the upcoming World Cup final against Spain. Scaloni emphasized the importance of appreciating Messi's historic career and his continued performance at the age of 39.
Why it matters
Lionel Messi is widely considered one of the greatest athletes in history, and his late-career performance in a World Cup final is a major global cultural and sporting event.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni urged fans to make the most of seeing Lionel Messi lead his team out in another World Cup final at the age of 39 as the holders aim to retain the trophy when they take on Spain this weekend.
"He has made history. He is a legend," Scaloni said of the former Barcelona player, who has already helped Argentina win a World Cup and back-to-back Copa America titles in the last five years.
Messi's international career has enjoyed a remarkable late renaissance — a decade ago, he briefly retired from the Argentina team at the age of 29 after a Copa America final loss to Chile, his fourth defeat in a final for his country.
Messi and Scaloni hugged on the pitch at full-time after Wednesday's 2-1 semi-final win over England, with the Argentine captain calling that victory "pure history".
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