Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni’s words captured the emotion building in Argentina around Lionel Messi’s farewell match.
Explaining that demand to see Messi’s last game, against Benin, far exceeds the capacity of the Monumental stadium, Scaloni said: “If there were five Monumental stadiums, they would all be full.”
Speaking at a news conference after Argentina beat Burkina Faso 7-0, Scaloni said there was nothing left to say about Messi’s farewell and it was simply time to enjoy it. “I’ve had messages from everywhere, haha. I think everything has been said. Now it’s just time to enjoy it,” he said.
Messi has led Argentine football for more than two decades since his debut for the national team in 2005, winning titles including the World Cup, the Copa America and the Finalissima. Scaloni said his absence would be felt at every moment. “The nostalgia we always talk about, we will feel it when he is not there. Now he won’t be here any more.”
“I think everyone will be emotional, Messi too. The day he steps onto the pitch at the Monumental will be unforgettable for everyone,” he said.
Argentina will of course go on without Messi, Scaloni said, but no one else can give what he gives. “We have to play, and the team will go on. But the feeling of having him on the pitch is unique. I have never seen anyone else give off what he does on the field. That is what we will miss most. But the Argentina national team will carry on.”
The match against Benin will be Messi’s 208th for the national team; he has scored 125 goals in 207 games for Argentina. Scaloni has two more training sessions with him before the farewell and wants to enjoy those final moments too.
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