Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said his team gave everything they had and that he would need time to consider what comes next for him personally, in emotional remarks following Sunday’s (19 July) 1-0 World Cup final defeat to Spain.
Spain needed an extra time goal from substitute Ferran Torres to edge past a ten man Argentina side, reduced to ten players after Enzo Fernandez’s dismissal late in normal time. “It was a dream place for everyone, and we tried up until the very last minute to give our utmost, and I believe it is only fair to take this time to myself to think this through,” Scaloni told reporters.
Asked about his own future, Scaloni said no decision had been made. “I will talk to the president, I have an idea of what I would like to do. I will see out my contract, and I feel the need to think, as I don’t know if something as big can be done, and maybe we need to speak this through.” Visibly emotional and wiping his eyes, he added, “I have never in my life, please bear with me, I would have never imagined, including my staff, that we would be in this place.”
The final itself was one of the least eventful matches of the tournament, with both sides cancelling each other out until Torres broke the deadlock to spare the match a penalty shootout. It followed a gruelling route to the final for Argentina, who survived nail-biting contests against England, Egypt and Cape Verde earlier in the competition.
The result also marked a disappointing, and possibly final, chapter in Lionel Messi’s career, with the 39-year-old leaving the tournament without the trophy.
Scaloni said Messi’s standing in the game needed no further proof regardless of the outcome. “It was crystal clear to me that he’s going to play up until he decides not to do so, and his team will support him,” Scaloni said. “I hope that everyone feels proud of him, of what he’s achieved, because he’s the best football player ever.” Messi was seen in tears on the pitch after the match, facing Argentina’s travelling supporters as they sang for him and his teammates.
Scaloni offered a message of resilience to those fans in the aftermath. “The fans, I’m sure, are struggling like us, but these are moments to bounce back stronger,” he said. “It’s hard for people to enjoy being runners up as much as being winners. We have to go on.”
