CORNERFLICK
Lionel Scaloni said he had little left to add about Lionel Messi after the captain scored both goals in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria at the 2026 World Cup.
Scaloni was pleased with the result and with Argentina’s place in the next round, but stressed that the team had to work for the win. He said Austria’s pace and physical strength made the match harder than it may have looked.
The Argentina coach compared the game with the opening fixture against Algeria and praised his players for handling difficult moments with more maturity. He also backed his squad to stay focused as they continue their title defence after winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“Teams have to suffer when the game demands it,” Scaloni said. “People enjoy watching this side because of the way it competes and the way it plays. It may have looked easy, but it wasn’t.”
On Messi, he added: “When Leo gets going, the whole team gets going.” Scaloni also pointed to Messi’s work without the ball and his contribution before the goals.