Argentina Coach Draws Criticism for Odd Lionel Messi Statement Before World Cup

Argentina is looking to repeat as World Cup champion after defeating France in one of the greatest matches in tournament history back in 2022.

Head coach Lionel Scaloni has retained much of the core from that championship squad for this summer’s tournament, and the team remains captained by Lionel Messi, despite a brief injury scare during his most recent MLS match with Inter Miami CF.

With international friendlies already underway and group-stage play set to begin in less than a week, Scaloni recently spoke with the newspaper Olé about Messi’s role with the national team.

"No one likes to be substituted, not even Messi," Scaloni admitted before explaining the collaborative nature of their relationship.

"I don’t make any decision without consulting Messi."

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He later expanded on that point, emphasizing the value of having one of the greatest players in history on the roster.

"It makes no sense to say that I am the one in charge. We always talk with Messi about all the decisions we make," Scaloni said. "I ask him what he thinks, how he is, and we try to reach an agreement."

As expected, Scaloni’s comments sparked plenty of debate among fans on social media.

"Wait, what? He did not really say this, did he?" one fan wrote.

"This is absolute nonsense. Messi is not the coach, he is not in charge," another added.

"Well, we now see who the real dictator is," a third fan commented.

"That's bad from a coach. So what is he doing in that seat?" another questioned.

"Admitting this as coach is wild," one more fan wrote.

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This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 11:28 AM.