Scaloni: “Messi is like Federer”
Speculation over Leo Messi’s retirement was heightened when Argentina’s team manager Lionel Scaloni made this comparison to tennis legend Roger Federer.
Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni urges the world to enjoy Leo Messi while they still can.
There has been speculation that Messi could retire from international soccer following the World Cup in Qatar this year. Messi himself said he wasn’t sure what his plans will be after, but promised one thing:
“For sure after the World Cup many things will change.”
Scaloni praised Messi, saying that although he’s his coach, if he wasn’t, he would be a fan and would pay money to watch him play.
“I would buy myself a t-shirt no matter which country he played for,” said Scaloni.
As he went on about how wonderful it is to watch Messi play soccer, Scaloni compared him to the tennis legend, Roger Federer, who recently played in his last tournament after announcing his retirement. The reception he got was incredible.
“What happened when [Federer] retired? Everyone is emotional and everyone is thinking, ‘he’s not here anymore, he’s not going to play anymore’,” said Scaloni. “How many of us would like to see Federer play tennis? It was wonderful to watch him play. And the same thing will happen with [Messi].”
Messi will confirm future after World Cup
Messi has said that he will make a final decision regarding his future after the World Cup. At the moment, he’s just focusing on playing well in Qatar.
“I don’t know what I will do after the World Cup. I am thinking about what is coming. After Qatar I will have to reassess many things,” said Messi.
On Tuesday, Messi scored two late goals for Argentina, who beat Jamaica in a World Cup friendly 3-0. Messi was apparently feeling sick before the game, but even that doesn’t stop him from dominating. He sat out until the 56th minute, scoring his first goal with four minutes remaining and his second on a free kick just before the final time. He has now scored four goals in the last two games with Argentina.
During that game, an unusual thing happened. A fan ran onto the field wanting Messi to sign his back. Though he appeared a bit startled at first, Messi obliged and started scribbling anyway before the security guards tackled the fan to the ground, nearly knocking over Messi himself. Sometimes, he’s too nice for his own good.
Messi’s goals helped extend Argentina’s undefeated streak to 35 games over three years. Messi himself extended his goal count to 90 in 164 international appearances.
“The only thing left to do is enjoy it,” said Scaloni of watching Messi. “Because I don’t know if something like this will ever happen again.”