Scaloni: Messi will remain the best... if he wants to

Kansas City – AFP: Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni affirmed that captain Lionel Messi “will remain the best as long as he wants to,” and expressed his desire for his national team to be remembered as a side that “never gives up,” as they prepare to face Switzerland in the World Cup quarterfinals in North America on Sunday morning in Kansas City.

Scaloni said at a press conference on the eve of the match at Arrowhead Stadium that supporting Argentina is about “passion.”

He said, “We, the coaching staff and the players, play football for this. We don’t play just to win. And when you see those moments that come from our hearts, it’s truly wonderful. When you see a 10-year-old child saying these things and speaking with such passion, and everyone chanting ‘Argentina,’ it is deeply moving. That is the legacy I want.”

The quarterfinal match at Arrowhead Stadium will bring star Lionel Messi back to the place where he scored a hat-trick in Argentina’s opening match of the current edition, when they defeated Algeria 3-0.

Messi also became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 21 career goals, one ahead of the Spanish Real Madrid striker.

Scaloni said his star will remain the best as long as he wants to, adding, “At 39 years old, some may think he won’t be able to rise to the challenge, but I’ve said before that as long as he wants to, he will remain the best.”

He continued, “We who see him train and watch him do things today can’t even imagine how he was at 23, when he was at Barcelona (the Spanish club) under Pep Guardiola.”

He clarified, “We respect them greatly, as we respect all other competitors. They eliminated Colombia, which was performing brilliantly in this tournament.”