At 39 years old, Messi leads the scoring charts for the 2026 World Cup with 8 goals, a tally matched by France's Kylian Mbappe. The forward has featured in all five of Argentina's matches since the tournament began, playing the full 90 minutes in both knockout stage victories: a 3-2 win over Cape Verde in the round of 16 and another 3-2 triumph against Egypt in the round of 8.

Coach Lionel Scaloni embraces Lionel Messi after Argentina's 3-2 victory over Egypt in the 2026 World Cup round of 16 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, US on July 7. Photo: AP

Against Egypt, despite missing a penalty, Messi contributed a goal and an assist, propelling Argentina to an emotional comeback win. His stellar performance in that match allowed the Argentina captain to set two World Cup records: most goals scored (21) and most assists (9) in the tournament's history. Kylian Mbappe (20 goals) and Diego Maradona (8 assists) rank just behind him in these respective statistics.

According to Scaloni, Messi maintains a consistent intensity in his play, not varying significantly from match to match, but rather becoming more effective. The 48-year-old coach believes Messi will retain his status as the number one player in world football as long as his desire to compete remains.

"As long as he wants to, Messi will be the best", Scaloni stated during the press conference before the match against Switzerland. "When he's 50 years old, it won't be the same, of course. I can't imagine what Pep Guardiola saw when Messi was only 20, because it's very difficult to explain. I think Messi will be the best player until he wants to continue, but there will come a time when everything ends".

Following their round of 16 defeat, members of the Egyptian team strongly criticized VAR. Mostafa Ziko suggested that Argentina was favored to win the World Cup, while coach Hossam Hassan implied FIFA wished for Messi to continue his journey to defend the title. The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) also requested FIFA to investigate the officiating by the French refereeing team in that match.

Scaloni dismissed the controversy, noting it was not a new narrative and that it is normal for many people not to want Argentina to win. The 48-year-old coach affirmed that VAR technology makes it much harder to show favoritism towards any team.

"Since 1986, they have also claimed Argentina received preferential treatment", Scaloni commented. "There are people who don't want Argentina to win. But for Argentina, the number of people who don't want us to win is probably even higher. It's very difficult for VAR to help any team. Situations no longer have multiple interpretations".

Addressing the disallowed goal for Mostafa Ziko, Scaloni maintained that the referee's decision aligned with the pre-tournament guidelines: "Everything was applied exactly as we were taught in the World Cup preparation course. On social media, things often get exaggerated".

Scaloni regards Switzerland as a formidable opponent but expressed confidence in Argentina's squad quality. "The recent matches have been very positive. I have no complaints", he stated. "They have done more than what was asked. For Switzerland, having to face the players we currently have is certainly a concern".

Scaloni then described the semifinal match between Spain and France as an "early final" for the tournament. The Argentina head coach believes Spain is improving with each game, although pitch conditions might impact the possession-based style of play favored by coach Luis de la Fuente's team.

Key developments of Argentina 3-2 Egypt match.

Hong Duy (according to La Nacion)