Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has thrown his full support behind Lionel Messi, insisting the legendary forward will remain the nation’s first-choice penalty taker despite his recent struggles from the spot at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Speaking ahead of Argentina’s quarter-final showdown against Switzerland, Scaloni made it clear that Messi’s status within the squad has not changed.
The coach believes the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has earned the right to make his own decision whenever Argentina are awarded a penalty.
The Inter Miami captain has endured an uncharacteristically difficult run from 12 yards during the tournament, missing both of his penalty attempts.
However, Scaloni refused to let those setbacks overshadow Messi’s overall influence on Argentina’s title defence.
“First of all, Leo will take penalties if he wants to. We have other players capable of taking them, but if he wants to take them, he’ll take them.”
Despite the missed spot-kicks, Messi has continued to produce match-winning performances.
He inspired Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Egypt with a goal and an assist, taking his tally at the tournament to eight goals and one assist while consistently creating chances for his teammates.
Scaloni believes those numbers underline why there should be no debate about Messi’s importance.
The Argentina boss also explained that his captain enjoys complete tactical freedom on the pitch.
Rather than restricting the veteran forward to one position, Argentina allow Messi to drift across the attacking third in search of spaces that can hurt opponents.
That flexibility proved decisive against Egypt when he moved towards the right flank and became increasingly influential during the closing stages.
“In truth, these days he usually plays much more centrally, but our entire team — and especially the players who move around him — play in relation to him. That’s normal. It happened naturally within the flow of the game.
“The team realized that he was creating danger from that side, especially because he was able to find passes into the opposite side where teammates could arrive. I think that became very clear.
“At 39 years old, Messi continues to defy expectations with his performances on football’s biggest stage. While many expected his physical level to decline, Scaloni insists the captain remains every bit as decisive as ever.
“Leo runs pretty much the same amount he always has.
“It’s not that he’s running significantly more or less. The difference is that now everything he does is much more decisive. … Maybe it surprises people who don’t know him, who expected that at 39 he wouldn’t still be at this level.
“I’ve said it many times: As long as he wants to keep playing, he’ll be the best. That’s what I believe. Not because I’m his coach. As long as he still has the desire, he’ll remain the best.”
Scaloni also dismissed allegations from Egypt coach Hossam Hassan, who claimed Argentina benefited from favourable officiating during the Round of 16 encounter.
The Argentina boss rejected suggestions of bias and praised the consistency of the refereeing team throughout the competition.
“Honestly, people have been saying those kinds of things about Argentina for a very long time. Back in 1986 [when Diego Maradona won the tournament], people also said Argentina received favorable treatment.”
He insisted the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) correctly ruled out Egypt’s disallowed goal and argued that FIFA officials have applied the tournament’s laws consistently from the opening match.
“The officiating has been very clear. Before the World Cup began, the referees showed everyone exactly how the rules would be interpreted. They said, ‘This is how it will be called. This is how it will be called.’ And that’s exactly what’s happened.
“Maybe sometimes people think a little more should have been called, or a little less. But there hasn’t been any change in interpretation. There isn’t another way to read it.
“Social media magnifies everything. That’s where the debates begin. But there hasn’t been any favoritism. Quite the opposite. Nowadays, it’s actually very difficult for favoritism to exist.”
Argentina head into the quarter-finals with momentum after surviving two demanding knockout fixtures against Cape Verde and Egypt.
Scaloni believes his side has consistently created enough opportunities to justify its place in the last eight and is confident the reigning world champions are improving with every match.
With Messi leading the charge once again, Argentina will now look to overcome Switzerland and move one step closer to retaining the FIFA World Cup trophy.
For Scaloni, there is no uncertainty over who will step up if another decisive penalty arrives—provided the captain still wants the responsibility.
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