The "Pampas Eagles" Argentina will host Venezuela at home in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, and coach Scaloni made special mention of Messi, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, at a press conference, saying that the star's achievements are irreplaceable.

In the 2022 World Cup final against France, Argentina defeated France 4-2 on penalties after Messi scored twice in regular time and Di Maria found the net. This was Messi's first World Cup title. In terms of other honors for the national team, Messi has also won two Copa América titles.

However, Messi, who is now 38 years old, may be getting closer to retiring from the Argentina national team.

Argentina coach Scaloni said in an interview, "First of all, we have to enjoy watching the games he participates in. Messi will leave the field one day, and the Argentine national team will continue. But when he decides not to play anymore, the loss will be huge, not only for Argentine football, but for the entire football field, because everyone wants to see him play on the field."

"Anyone who loves football wants him to be on the pitch, so let's just enjoy it now."

When asked if there will be a player who can become Messi's successor in the future, Scaloni said: "No, there can be no successor to Messi. Maybe there will be a great player who can define an era, but what he has done for a long time, I think it is impossible to repeat."

"A lot of unimaginable things happen in football, but at this point, I'm almost certain I won't see anything like it again. Messi is unmatched, at least from what I've seen."