Teary Lionel Scaloni on Lionel Messi's potential final match in Argentina - 'He earned the right to decide when to stop'
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Updated 04/09/2025 at 20:20 GMT+1
Lionel Messi could play his final game for Argentina on home soil on Friday, as Lionel Scaloni's side host their last CONMEBOL qualifying match for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The icon admitted that he does not know what will happen next, but confirmed his family will be in the stands in Buenos Aires to see the game against Venezuela. Scaloni was moved to tears in his pre-match press conference.
Tearful Scaloni previews 'emotional game' ahead of Messi's Argentina farewell
Video credit: SNTV
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni had tears in his eyes discussing potentially Lionel Messi's final competitive game for his country in his homeland.
The FIFA World Cup champions have two games remaining in their CONMEBOL qualifying campaign for next summer, with a home match against Venezuela on September 5 followed by a trip to Ecuador.
Messi had previously hinted that he would retire after the 2026 World Cup, calling the encounter against Venezuela "a very, very special match".
Argentina have already qualified as group winners for the tournament, and Scaloni said that Messi "will always have support" no matter his decision.
"This is a match which Leo has said will be emotional, special, nice because it's true that it's our last qualifying match. We have to enjoy it, as we've always been saying," said an emotional Scaloni in his pre-match press conference.
"More than anyone, I will enjoy it. Having been able to coach him has honestly been a pleasure and let's hope that fans who go to the stadium will also enjoy it because he truly deserves it.
"Tomorrow will be a nice match, exciting. I'm sure that it won't be his last game in Argentina and I say that we'll make sure that if he decides it's the last game, we play another because it's obvious to do that in the right moment and because he deserves it.
"He earned the right to decide when to stop. From our side, he will always have support."
The two-time Copa America champion admitted that he does not know "what will happen next", with a large entourage of his family expected to attend Friday's match at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
"It will be a very special match for me because it’s the last qualifier," said Messi. "I don't know if there will be friendlies or more matches after [Venezuela].
"But it is a very, very special match, so my family will be there with me: my wife, my children, my parents, my siblings. We're going to live it like that. I don't know what will happen next."
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Messi had previously announced his retirement from international football in 2016, after he missed a penalty in Argentina's shoot-out defeat to Chile in the Copa America final.
And following Messi's triumph in Qatar at the 2022 World Cup, the then-35-year-old said it would "surely" be his last participation in international football's biggest competition.
Messi came up short in four successive World Cups, from his debut in the tournament in 2006 to 2018. But at the age of 35 he led Argentina to glory in Qatar in 2022, with a victory over France in a penalty shoot-out in the final seeing him get his hands on the trophy.
The forward has scored 112 goals in 193 appearances for Argentina.
Most recently - on the domestic front - he lost the 2025 Leagues Cup, being unable to stop Seattle Sounders beating Inter Miami 3-0 on August 31.
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