Today’s World Cup final between Argentina and France will see Lionel Messi starting for his country.
Argentina and Lionel Messi are one victory away from making history. When his nation squares off against France in the World Cup final on Sunday afternoon, the Paris Saint-Germain star is certain to get the start for his nation. And as the time to that match draws closer, it’s obvious that he views Lionel Scaloni differently from the late and legendary Diego Maradona.
Messi, 35, has been in superb form for Argentina in Qatar, scoring five goals thus far in the World Cup.
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The South Americans’ competition got off to a bad start when they suffered a shocking 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Stadium.
However, Messi has upped his game to help Argentina defeat teams like Mexico, Poland, Australia, the Netherlands, and Croatia to set up today’s tantalizing matchup with France.
As a result, Scaloni has gained a lot of respect although Maradona earlier questioned his credentials prior to his passing.
“[Lionel] Scaloni is a lovely man, but he couldn’t direct traffic,” Maradona stated in 2018.
“How can we offer him the position in Argentina? Are all of us crazy?
When Maradona was managing Argentina in the past, they lost to Germany in the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa.
But Scaloni has since put his critics to rest in order to unleash Messi and company at the height of their abilities ahead of the final against France.
Messi has made it plain how much he values his manager, a former Premier League player who currently plays for West Ham.
The 35-year-old stated after his team defeated Croatia: “They have a great deal of intelligence, in my opinion, and they can read the game well.
“He knows how to endure when he must suffer, reads the games, and knows when to back off and when to press, as Scaloni had stated. He is an excellent coach who takes no chances.
“He walks you through each step before it actually occurs. We weren’t concerned because we were aware that the game would proceed in this manner.
“We prepared for it in a serious manner since it was a really important match. We were aware that they would control the majority of the ball while still giving us opportunities. As usual, we put a lot of effort into our match preparation.
“I feel pleased, and I really like it.”
Of fact, Scaloni had already established himself as a success before the World Cup began.
Last year, he led Argentina to Copa America victory, defeating bitter rivals Brazil 1-0 in the championship game.
It remains to be seen if he can lead his nation to its first World Cup victory since 1986, when Maradona was at the height of his powers.
Gabriel Batistuta, a legend in Argentina, believes that Messi is going back in time there.
“The former Inter Milan striker added, “I anticipated him to be lot calmer, but he is playing like a 20-year-old.
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And he’s here to win the cup, therefore he’s hungry, so that’s why.
“Leo is instilling that in the entire team; that’s what football needs.”
When asked to make a prediction for the France-U.S. match, he added: “There is a favorable energy in the air that will allow this to occur. For Messi and the supporters as well.
At the World Cup in Russia four years prior, France defeated Argentina, losing 4-3, with Les Bleus going on to win the tournament.