Scaloni puts Messi at center of Argentina’s final date with Spain
After Argentina beat England to reach the 2026 World Cup final, Lionel Scaloni praised his players and said he will chase the title against Spain.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
3 min read
Argentina are headed for another World Cup final, and Lionel Scaloni used the moment to put Lionel Messi right in the middle of the story.
After Argentina defeated England to reach the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, Telemundo Deportes reported that Scaloni praised his squad, backed Messi as the greatest player of all time and looked ahead to Sunday’s title match against Spain.
Scaloni, Argentina’s World Cup-winning manager, said he hoped people in Spain would be pleased to see Argentina in the final because of Messi, according to Telemundo Deportes. The Argentina captain spent the biggest stretch of his club career in Spanish soccer with Barcelona.
The coach also made clear where his own loyalty sits for the final. Telemundo Deportes reported that Scaloni said he has Spanish family ties, but Argentina will go after the trophy against Spain on Sunday.
Argentina’s comeback sends England home
Argentina reached the final after coming from behind against England, according to Telemundo Deportes coverage of the match. Related match clips listed Enzo Fernández as the scorer of Argentina’s equalizer and Lautaro Martínez as the player who made it 2-1.
Telemundo Deportes described the result as a comeback over England and reported that Argentina’s players and fans celebrated the team’s passage to the final while England absorbed a painful exit.
Lautaro was emotional after the win, Telemundo Deportes reported, saying he had always dreamed of scoring that goal. Another Telemundo Deportes clip showed Scaloni celebrating Argentina’s place in the final and saying, in Spanish, that the team is “unique.”
Tuchel says Argentina deserved it
England manager Thomas Tuchel credited Argentina after the defeat. According to Telemundo Deportes, Tuchel said Argentina played with more risk and that the result was deserved.
In another Telemundo Deportes clip, Tuchel said he was disappointed, that England had been very close, and that his team became too passive. Harry Kane, England’s captain, was also shown reacting to the elimination, with Telemundo Deportes quoting him as saying he was devastated.
Former Argentina player Maxi Rodríguez offered a sharper assessment in Telemundo Deportes coverage, saying England had been afraid to win.
Messi gets one more final stage
The win means Messi will play another World Cup final with Argentina, according to Telemundo Deportes. Scaloni’s postmatch comments kept the focus on both the team’s collective effort and the captain’s place in the sport.
Spain now stand between Argentina and another world title. Scaloni’s message was warm toward Spanish supporters, but the football part was plain: family links aside, Argentina are coming for the cup.
This story draws on original reporting from TELEMUNDO.com.