Will be a privilege if he plays World Cup, says Argentina coach Scaloni after Lionel Messi stars in 5-0 win over Zambia

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Scaloni also backed Messi to reach 1000 career goals. His strike against Zambia was his 116th in international football and 902nd overall in his career. “He could reach 1,000 goals,” said Scaloni. “We’ll have to see how much longer he plays.”

Messi was pretty much the lifeblood of Argentina’s run to the title in 2022, scoring seven goals and finishing as the second highest goalscorer in the tournament after France’s Kylian Mbappe. He scored twice in the thriller of a final against France, in addition to scoring the first penalty kick in the shootout after the match ended 3-3.

Scaloni also warned fans to temper their expectations after Argentina followed up the World Cup win with victory in the 2024 Copa America. They also dominated their qualification route. “It will be a tough World Cup, a very difficult one,” he said. “That’s why it will be crucial for everyone to be in good physical and mental shape.

“What lies ahead at the World Cup is going to be incredibly tough; we need to prepare the players. It’s very difficult to replace certain players — legends of the game — who gave so much for us at the World Cup and the Copa América.”