“The only player who doesn’t need any instructions,” Lionel Scaloni on Messi.

The Argentine coach, Lionel Scaloni, revealed the few instructions he gives to his captain, Lionel Messi, ahead of the ongoing 2026 World Cup. For the last group match against Jordan (3-1), the Argentine manager chose to rest his star, who started on the bench. Coming on during the match, the Inter Miami forward once again shone by scoring the third goal for La Albiceleste.

Asked after the match about the instructions given to his captain before his entry, Scaloni responded with humor and admiration. “I simply tell him: go win the match (laughs). No, what else can I say to him? Are you really asking me this question? He’s the only player who doesn’t need any instructions at all,” he said. The coach insisted, almost amused by the question: “Seriously, do you think I need to tell him ‘run there’ or ‘manage the ball like this’? That’s absurd.”