Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni, captain Lionel Messi, and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez met with the media on Friday in New York City, two days before Argentina's second consecutive World Cup final appearance. The match against Spain kicks off on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
Few expected Argentina, built around an aging core and led by a 39-year-old talisman, to reach this stage. Yet the team has delivered heart-stopping, chaotic performances, capped by a memorable semi-final win over England, to set up a clash with Spain.
Scaloni wary of Spain's disciplined style
Spain represents the anti-Argentina in style: possession-based, tightly organized defense, and minimal chaos. If Argentina's path has been pure chaos, Spain's has been the polar opposite—almost boring. However, Scaloni does not underestimate them.
“If Spain leaves the hotel, I am already concerned,” said Scaloni. “Once they are on the bus and they leave the hotel, I am concerned. They are a great team. Everything concerns me about Spain.”
Experience vs. expectation
Argentina are defending champions, while Spain last won the tournament in 2010. Spain has no players who have appeared in a final, but Scaloni downplays Argentina's experience edge.
“They also have players who have played in globally big stages,” said Scaloni. “And they are top players for their teams. So when it comes to pressure, when the ball starts rolling, players forget about this and they just focus on playing. They played a Euro final and a Nations League final. They also have a great deal of experience. I don’t think being in a final again plays in our favor.”
Carefree mindset despite pressure
Argentina's run has been emotional—Scaloni has cried in every match—but the team maintains a carefree attitude. Scaloni, Martinez, and Messi all touched on this.
“The best thing we have is that we’ve grown up in rough places playing ball,” said Scaloni. “Playing soccer and not thinking about what other people say. The pressure stays to the side, it’s not worth worrying about … [On Sunday, we need to] do what we’ve done since the beginning, just play ball and don’t even think about what could happen.”
“What he said,” added Messi. “We grew up playing football with a lot of passion and with a lot of desire, all the time, wherever - in the school, the street, we played with little teams in our neighborhoods. We never thought of pressure. It always felt natural, the act of playing, of competing. This is a team sport, the rival always plays as well and you can’t always win. But since we were little, I learned that you lose more than you win. That made me grow a lot as a person and player.”
Messi's legacy and possible farewell
Win or lose, Sunday may be Messi's final game in an Argentina shirt. Scaloni was asked about his legacy.
“He is pure history,” said Scaloni. “A legend. Reaching a final at 39 years of age is unbelievable. We must enjoy him as it happens. With Diego [Maradona], we miss him. But Messi is still with us. He is the history, he is the legend, and together with this group of people who have brought us these wonderful years, we’ll always remember him.”
