Ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final between Argentina and Spain, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni held a press conference to answer questions from the media. Below is the second half of the press conference.

Read more: [Scaloni: Everyone knows Argentina's style of play, reaching the final is a team effort]

Coach, first of all, as an Argentine, I want to thank you, because everyone here is Argentine before being a journalist. This is the first time I've covered the Argentina national team at a FIFA World Cup, and reaching the final means a great deal to me. This experience has been emotional, and I sincerely thank you. Also, I wanted to ask: after beating England to reach the final, Messi hugged you and said you were "pure history." Messi's international career was very difficult until you arrived and they started winning titles. What did that embrace mean to you?

He is "pure history," he is history, he is a legend. I don't know how to comment on words he said about himself. It's not just for me, but for everyone. This makes me extremely proud, because it's wonderful that the greatest footballer in history thinks that way. At 39 years old, he can still lead a team to the final—it's incredible. As I've said before, we must cherish it. Like Diego in the past, we didn't appreciate him until ten or twenty years after he was gone. Now he's still here, and we must cherish everything he does. He is history and a legend, and so is this group of players—they've brought us many years of glory. Although people always think Argentine players should be like this, it's actually very difficult to achieve. They've accomplished things we couldn't have imagined years ago. I told them in yesterday's speech that what they've done is magnificent. The coaching staff will always be grateful to them, because it's not easy to reach this stage and maintain such a high competitive level for so long. This has been an incredible journey. As I always say, we can win the final and we want to win, but even if we don't, the journey itself has already been wonderful—an example for everyone—and I hope it can inspire our country and our people.

Coach, listen. In Qatar, everyone said it was Messi's final World Cup. But now everyone is talking about Messi's final World Cup again. As the tournament goes on, this narrative keeps changing. I have to ask a question on behalf of all Argentine fans and journalists that no one wants to address: For Lionel Scaloni, will tomorrow be Messi's last World Cup—the last time he wears the Argentina jersey?

I don't know. Who knows? You have to ask him. I don't have an opinion. I don't know how to answer you because he always surprises people, so that's his question, not mine. We haven't discussed it.

Hello Coach. Before the press conference, I saw you embrace Luis de la Fuente very emotionally. If you could, would you mind sharing what you two talked about? And as someone very familiar with Spanish football, what concerns you most about this match?

I'm concerned that their team bus won't be able to leave the hotel—I'll try to keep them there (laughs). Why wouldn't Spain's team concern me? They're a very strong team. Luis has done an excellent job since taking over, and I'm truly happy for him. As for what we talked about... I won't tell you, because the moment was very surreal. That's the beauty of football. I was there purely because he was leaving, so I went. I told him: "Luis, I came because of you." There are some other things I can't reveal. It was really special to reunite after a long time at a moment like this—everyone knows how much I respect him.

Hello Coach. We noticed there are no three stars on your badge. Are you superstitious? Will you wear the same clothes or shoes as you did in 2022 for the final?

No, I'm not superstitious. At the previous World Cup, I had a small habit of always wearing the same pair of shoes, but after we lost to Saudi Arabia, I took them off. Before that, we had a long unbeaten streak while wearing those shoes. As it turned out, we lost our first match, so those shoes were retired. It was a form of superstition for me, but that match broke it. So from then on, I don't have any particular superstitions. Of course, I still make the sign of the cross and step onto the field with my right foot first, but I've done that since I was a player. Other members of the coaching staff may have their own superstitious habits. I don't have many. Thank you all.

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