Lionel Messi’s Argentina farewell takes shape and boss Lionel Scaloni has one major regret

Lionel Messi is preparing for an emotional final chapter with Argentina, while Lionel Scaloni faces the difficult task of overseeing the national team’s transition after its greatest modern era. Messi’s farewell is beginning to take shape, but Scaloni has revealed there is one thing he wishes had been different during their time together.

Argentina has confirmed a three-match friendly schedule that will see the national team face Bolivia on September 30, Burkina Faso on October 3 and Benin on October 6. The final fixture at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires is expected to provide the 39-year-old superstar with the farewell that Argentine supporters have been waiting for.

Messi has been included in Scaloni’s squad for the upcoming international window, paving the way for his expected final appearance in the famous blue-and-white shirt. The 39-year-old is set to face Benin on October 6, with the Argentine Football Association preparing a special celebration for the captain.

The occasion will come after an international career spanning more than two decades. Messi leaves Argentina as its all-time leading scorer and most-capped player, having won the 2022 World Cup and Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.

Scaloni reveals his one major regret with Messi

Amid the farewell celebrations, Scaloni has now offered a particularly personal reflection on his relationship with Messi. The Argentina boss admitted that he wishes he had been able to coach Messi during the earlier stages of the superstar’s career.

“The Messi of 22 or 23 years old was a unique footballer. He also played well with us, but I would have loved to have coached him when he was young. He was unique… he is unique,” Scaloni told Tyc Sports.

The coach’s comments highlight just how highly he regards the version of Messi that emerged in his early 20s. By the time Scaloni took charge of Argentina in 2018, Messi was already an established global superstar, meaning the coach never experienced the teenage and early-20s version that had taken Barcelona and world soccer by storm.

The partnership that delivered the ultimate prize

Scaloni also explained that his priority throughout their time together was creating an environment in which Messi and his teammates could perform comfortably. “He felt comfortable with us. We put everything we had at our disposal toward making sure that he, and everyone else, felt comfortable,” he added.

That relationship became central to Argentina’s success under Scaloni. Messi finally lifted the World Cup in 2022, while the national team also won the Copa America and Finalissima during their time together.

The partnership also helped reshape Messi’s international story after years of disappointment. The player who had once faced intense scrutiny over the national team’s failures eventually became the captain who led the national team to its greatest prize.