It was an emotional night for Argentina fans all across the globe. Lionel Messi, their biggest hero of this century, displayed a masterclass, akin to magic on the football field to give himself a shot at the grandest farewell of them all and the nation their sixth appearance in a FIFA World Cup final. For Lionel Scaloni, Argentina’s coach, someone who has seen Messi’s ultimate dream from the closest quarters possible in the lead-up to the mega event, and has assisted him in fine-tuning strategies to cut through defenders, it was more than just a chance to etch his name on history books of Argentine football. It was evident in the way he reacted to Messi’s every move late on Tuesday night.
When Messi surpassed Batistuta with a penalty kick to give Argentina the lead, Scaloni wasn’t screaming in joy or jumping around the dugout searching for a new member of the squad to embrace. He was instead, sitting on his chair, eyes moist, sipping water from a bottle, then from another. He was relieved. He knew Messi was onto something.
And he was right. The Argentina captain took his game to another level as the match progressed. He played an active role in Argentina’s next two goals. Messi’s assist to Julian Alvarez for which he dribbled past Gvardiol, one of the best defenders of the tournament, from a difficult position, left fans and experts scratching their heads. The purists searched for new adjectives. Scaloni was once again not over the moon. It was as if he and Messi had planned everything.
“Sometimes it can look like we only say that as Argentinians but I don’t have any doubt [he’s the best],” Scaloni told reporters after the match. “Every time he plays it’s a huge source of motivation for his teammates. There’s nothing left to say about Messi, it’s a privilege to have him.”
After the final whistle which confirmed Argentina’s march into the final with a comfortable 3-0 win over Croatia, Scaloni was seen bursting into tears again. He walked straight to Messi, gave him a warm hug and sobbed. Messi didn’t try to console his coach. For these were tears of ecstasy. He let them flow.
Watch: Argentina coach Scaloni in tears after hugging Messi post 3-0 win over Croatia
Afterwards, the Argentines celebrated in grand style. “We celebrated because it is exciting to be in the final, but there is still one step to go. This is something to enjoy but it’s over now, so we need to move on to the next one.”
“I can’t compare myself with other coaches,” he said. “It fills me with pride to get to the final and represent the national team. But I can’t put myself on the same level as them. I just feel privileged to be in the final.”
