Lionel Scaloni makes 'leave him alone' claim after being quizzed about Lionel Messi playing 2026 World Cup

Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni has asked that Lionel Messi be left alone after receiving questions about his participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 37-year-old was absent from the national team as they sealed their place in the tournament following wins over Uruguay and Brazil.

After his side triumphed by a 4-1 scoreline over rivals Brazil to secure their World Cup ticket, Scaloni faced the media in a press conference. The manager was asked whether he expects Messi to participate in the competition, to which he responded that the forward be left alone to decide in his own time.

"We will see what happens, there's plenty of time. We must go one game a time otherwise [we] will be speaking about the same thing the rest of the year and we need to leave him alone, we will see. He will decide it whenever he wants, let's not drive him crazy with this."

Scaloni's side provided a glimpse of what life post-Messi may look like, and it made for glorious viewing over two games this month. While the game against Uruguay ended in a scrappy 1-0 win, the win over Brazil was a performance of the highest quality, as the Selecao were comprehensively beaten.

Lionel Messi has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, with an adductor problem the reason for his absence from this month's international games. The former Barcelona man has already missed several games for Inter Miami this season, and missed a huge chunk of the 2024 season, as well.

Argentina star makes bold Lionel Messi claim after win over Brazil

Argentina striker Julian Alvarez has made a bold claim about Lionel Messi after their thumping win over Brazil. La Albiceleste ran out 4-1 victors over the Selecao to secure their place in the FIFA World Cup in the summer of 2026.

Speaking after the game, former Manchester City man Alvarez hinted at a wider margin of victory if their talismanic captain had played. The 37-year-old missed out with a minor muscle injury, but his absence was not missed by his teammates.

"Maybe with Leo Messi on the pitch, we might have scored 2/3 more goals."

Atletico Madrid hotshot Julian Alvarez scored the first goal of the game, setting the tone after four minutes as he poked past Bento in the Brazil goal. Further goals from Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Giuliano Simeone ensured that Lionel Scaloni's side emerged unscathed.