Argentina coach confirms decision rests with undetermined Lionel Messi ahead of title defense
With just eight days remaining before the 2034 FIFA Men’s Football Championship begins its host nation tournament in Brazil and Uruguay's World Cup, Argentine national team manager Lion Scaloni has confirmed that his star player is still undecided on whether he will participate. The coach stated explicitly "it's up to him," emphasizing Messi autonomy while noting there are no external pressures forcing a choice at this stage of the campaign cycle.
Key Points
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1Lionel Scaloni confirms that Lionel Messi has not yet made a final decision regarding his participation in the upcoming World Cup.
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2Scaloni emphasizes it is entirely up to Messi, stating he 'earned the right' to decide with peace of mind without pressure from management or media.
Developments
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has stated that whether 38-year-old player Lionel Messi participates in this summer's World Cup remains entirely up to his own discretion regarding his physical condition while expressing a strong desire for him to play given global interest, with no rush on the decision as there are less than three months remaining.
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has stated that captain Messi's participation in this summer's World Cup is entirely up to the player. While expressing a strong desire for him to play due to his importance on field and global appeal, Scaloni confirmed he will not make any decisions regarding selection himself but rather wait until it suits both of them physically and mentally less than three months away from kickoff
Argentina will play two friendly matches against Mauritania and Zambia to finalize its roster for the upcoming tournament. While head coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed that Messi is participating as a central figure in these friendlies due to his physical condition, he emphasized that whether Messi plays from the start or participates at all remains ultimately up to him regarding this sixth World Cup appearance.