The Argentina national team boss has urged fans to stop putting pressure on Lionel Messi ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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La Albiceleste are proving that they can win without the record Ballon d'Or winner. Earlier this week, the reigning world champions defeated their arch-rivals Brazil 4-1 to hand the record World Cup winners their heaviest-ever defeat in qualifying.
After the victory, Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni addressed Messi's absence but urged fans not to pressure the Inter Miami man into returning, as it may put him off participating altogether.
"We will see what happens, there's plenty of time," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said, as per ESPN.
"We must go one game at a time, otherwise [we] will be speaking about the same thing the rest of the year and we need to leave him alone, we will see. He will decide it whenever he wants, let's not drive him crazy with this."
The back-to-back Copa América winners are one of the few sides that booked their place at the global spectacle in the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada this past international break following victories over Uruguay and Brazil, both without Messi.
The Rosario native has been ruled out with a low-grade adductor muscle injury and has already missed significant time with his club. However, his international teammates are confident that he will return to the fold.
"With Messi, we might have scored two or three more goals," said striker Julián Álvarez.
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Rodrigo De Paul added that, "The best of our teams is always when the No. 10 is playing, because he is the greatest of all time."
